Rutgers Opens Big Ten Play With Strong Showing Despite The Loss
Despite Rutgers women’s basketball pushing the Spartans and even holding a slight edge as late as the third quarter, the Scarlet Knights fell on the road in East Lansing, 70-64, in their second Big Ten game of the season.
The first quarter set the tone, as neither side gave up ground, and the score sat locked at 15 heading into the second. Michigan State then delivered the first significant punch, jumping out to an 11-point edge early in the period. Rutgers countered with its own surge to stay within reach, trimming the margin to 32–27 by halftime and signalling that the contest was far from decided.
The third quarter mirrored the overall complexion of the afternoon: every Rutgers push was met with a Michigan State answer. Still, the Knights chipped away. Imani Lester’s pair of free throws in the closing moments pulled Rutgers within three, and a 22–20 edge in the frame gave the home side momentum heading into the fourth.
After Kaylah Ivey cut the lead to one on a layup to start the fourth quarter, the teams traded baskets, but Michigan State held a 59-56 lead with roughly seven minutes left to play in the game. Rutgers pulled within two on a three from Ivey before the four-minute media timeout.
Both teams went on a scoring drought, with the Spartans knocking down a couple of free throws to push their lead to four, before Ivey drilled a three to cut the lead to 65-64. However, Michigan State scored the game’s final five points to seal a 70-64 win over the Scarlet Knights.
Nene Ndiaye once again paced Rutgers offensively, finishing with 16 points to lead the team for the second straight game. The sophomore continues to establish herself as the Knights’ most dependable scorer, and her production held firm even against a nationally ranked opponent.
Faith Blackstone continued her upward trajectory as well. After dropping 22 points in the win over Lafayette, she followed it up with 15 against the Spartans, marking back-to-back outings in double figures. Her emergence provides Rutgers with a complementary scoring outlet alongside Ndiaye.
The rest of the starting lineup had a productive outing as well, with Imani Lester scoring 11 points and posting five rebounds, Kaylah Ivey pitching in 10 points and leading the Knights with five assists, and Zachara Perkins adding six points while leading the team with seven boards.
Michigan State was led by guard Rashunda Jones’ 14 points, while center Ines Sotelo and guard Kennedy Blair each had 12 points. Blair led the Spartans with 11 rebounds, even more impressive considering her 5’ 9” stature, while star forward Grace VanSlooten had eight points for MSU.
Where Rutgers fell short was in the turnover department. Michigan State won the turnover margin by 13 and cashed those extra chances in for 20 points, compared to just 9 for Rutgers. In a six-point game, that discrepancy loomed large and ultimately tilted the matchup.
Even so, Rutgers showed it has the toughness and talent to stay competitive with upper-tier Big Ten programs — a valuable sign as conference play deepens. After a blowout loss to Iowa and an 18-point loss to Princeton, RU held tough with a ranked opponent on the road in the first game of the all-Big Ten stretch.
The Scarlet Knights return to Jersey Mike’s Arena for their next contest on Thursday, January 1, when they host Wisconsin at 2 p.m. The game will be available to stream on Big Ten Plus.
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Category: General Sports
