Game Thread: Today RU @ Minnesota, 3pm, ESPN2

[Abro1975]

Rutgers women's basketball (16-4, 6-3) visits Minnesota (13-8, 3-7) for a Big Ten road game on Sunday, Minnesota lost their best player, Destiny Pitts, who left the team two weeks ago after her coach suspended her for 'bad body language'. RU is currently in 5th place but only 1 loss away from second place. Minnesota currently in 11th place, losing 2 of their last 3, but won their most recent game against 7th place Nebraska. The home team in the Scarlet Knights-Golden Gophers series has won all eight contests in a clash that Rutgers leads 4-3 since joining the Big Ten in 2015, including two of the last three. Minnesota is 8-5 this season in home games.

RU Redshirt Jr. guard Arella Guirantes is the second leading scorer in the Big Ten at 19.4 points per game (24th nationally). Rutgers women's basketball entered the 2019-20 season without four of the top five leaders in games started from last winter, returning 45% of its points and 35% rebounds. The eight returning Scarlet Knights (seven letterwinners) make up 29 percent of last year's games started. The projected starting lineup with last year's number of starts in parantheses: Khadaizha Sanders (0 – injury), Arella Guirantes (21), Tekia Mack (2), Mael Gilles (9) and Jordan Wallace (0).

C. Vivian Stringer and her staff have secured the No. 8 nationally ranked recruiting class for 2020 according to ESPN, led by the signing of No. 6 ranked prospect Diamond Johnson out of Neumann Goretti in Philadelphia. Blue Star Basketball ranks the class No. 5 in the nation.

Rutgers, as a team or individually, is ranked in the Top 25 in the nation in four statistical categories through games played on Jan. 23, including a pair of Top 15 marks in key defensive figures..
• Team: FG% defense (7th - .336) - Leads Big Ten
• Team: Scoring defense (13th - 54.1) - Leads Big Ten

Rutgers returns home to the RAC to host Penn State on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. in a rematch of the Scarlet Knights' 62-57 victory in University Park on Jan. 16.

Notes and links to follow the today's game:

 

[Abro1975]

BIG10 Schedule today and Monday:

Feb. 2, 2020

#1 Iowa at Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 12:00 pm
#2 Northwestern at Penn State University Park, PA 12:00 pm
Wisconsin at Illinois Champaign, IL 3:00 pm
#5 Rutgers at Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 3:00 pm
Ohio State at Nebraska Lincoln, NE 3:00 pm

Feb. 3, 2020

#4 Indiana at Purdue West Lafayette, IN 6:00 pm
#2 Maryland vs Michigan St., 8p

 

[Abro1975]

Rutgers now only 1 loss behind Iowa in first w the Iowa loss today against Michigan.
NW also won today they are tied with Iowa with 2 conference losses.

 

[hoquat63]

Hate MN Court color

 

[Abro1975]

I wonder if Maddox, Morris and Pelc are available?

 

[Abro1975]

RU up early 6-0

Minn call TO, the RU 55 giving Minn trouble.

 

[Abro1975]

geez, Wallace picks up a quick 2 fouls, the second one just so dumb. Have a seat Jordan.

 

[wngarbarini]

Why do they even play her. Make a freaking layup will you.

 

[Abro1975]

Why do they even play her. Make a freaking layup will you.

She reminds Me of Myles Johnson. A decent Offensive player who can't stay on the court due to stupid fouls.

 

[Abro1975]

Arella could get an 'intentional' foul call here.

 

[RU MAN]

Arella could get an 'intentional' foul call here.

A total BS call, because the officials CANNOT try to say what is intent.

 

[Abro1975]

Yep, Arella hit with Intentional Foul call giving Gophers 2 foul shots. At least Arella didn't get tossed. And the Gophers are allowed to use their best shooter in. And get possession.

At the Half

Minn 15 RU 14.

After a good start, Ru started playing dumb.

 

[wngarbarini]

Minny is not very good and to be down to a 3-7 team in conference is not good. Right the ship ladies.

 

[Abro1975]

A total BS call, because the officials CANNOT try to say what is intent.

As an ex official , that was an easy call. An offensive player with the ball should never be throwing an elbow above the shoulders. She' s fortunate she is still in the game.

 

[RUClassof67]

More importantly she gets mugged every time she drives. The flagrant was the correct call but jeeeesh let her get a call once in a while as well.

 

[RUClassof67]

Minny is not very good and to be down to a 3-7 team in conference is not good. Right the ship ladies.

Please stop with this stuff. They were top 20 ranked this year.

 

[RU MAN]

As an ex official , that was an easy call. An offensive player with the ball should never be throwing an elbow above the shoulders. She' s fortunate she is still in the game.

Okay. Thanks for this.

 

[Abro1975]

Okay. Thanks for this.

No problem. I agree with the other poster, she should draw more fouls.

 

[Abro1975]

4;18 left in half,

Migs off the bench hits two 3's.

RU leads 26-20 !

 

[RU MAN]

Danielle with TWO THREES! C Viv. she has the hot hand. Keep giving her the ball.

 

[RU MAN]

Give it to Danielle. Why is Gilles shooting a three? That's NOT her shot.

 

[motorb54]

So of course she is taken out.
heaven forbid anyone with O talent stay in the game

 

[wngarbarini]

Minny sure isn’t top twenty now my friend!

 

[wngarbarini]

KK can’t you read the clock

 

[RUClassof67]

Minny sure isn’t top twenty now my friend!

But they are also 13-8. So don’t make it sound like they are the worst team in the league. Also have the home court advantage.

 

[Abro1975]

At the half RU leads 30-27.

KK And T Baby lead w 6 points each. Arella getting doubled a lot. Only has 4 attempts. Smart D for the Gophers

Mack also leads w 5 rebounds

Wallace only played 7 Minutes due to her usual foul trouble. She only has 2, so should play a lot More in the 2nd half.

 

[wngarbarini]

Please CVS sit Wallace. She is a liability and takes away valuable experience time from our bigs returning. If you are going to lose, lose with a purpose in mind.

 

[Abro1975]

Please CVS sit Wallace. She is a liability and takes away valuable experience time from our bigs returning. If you are going to lose, lose with a purpose in mind.

Problem is she is so much better than Davenport and Singleton, especially on Offense. I am having doubts Davenport is athletic enough to develop in a running team offense like Rutgers. IMO is is better suited for a slower set up style Offense. As slow as Wallace is , Davenport is even slower. Singleton probably the most atheltic of the 3 bigs, but she doesn't have the offensive skills Wallace has.

 

[bac2therac]

Struggling against a bad team that has lost 7 of 8 without their best player

2 points in minutes

Embarrassing

 

[bac2therac]

But they are also 13-8. So don’t make it sound like they are the worst team in the league. Also have the home court advantage.

They are in free fall..stop making excuses

Rutgers cant score..u can never admit we have serious issues

 

[Abro1975]

4:32 left third RU leads 33-31

RU can't pull away as Arella isn't shooting, and Wallace isn't playing due to continuous, unrelenting fouling

 

[bac2therac]

Please stop with this stuff. They were top 20 ranked this year.

Face palm..best player gone lost 7 of 8

Keep shilling

 

[RU MAN]

C Viv. needs to put Danielle back in there. The offense right now is out of sorts and embarrassing to watch. Migs hit those two threes and then Stringer takes her out. I don't get when somebody has the hot hand, Stringer takes her out and then we don't see her again or when it's too late.

 

[RUClassof67]

TV just showed a sequence where Arella is double teamed. Looked like a foul could have been call each time but wasn’t.

 

[motorb54]

Is Giles some kind of shutdown defender that she gets so much playing time?
She appears to have zero offensive game.

Good God! pick up your fourth foul sixty feet from the basket!!!!!!

 

[bac2therac]

Minnesota is awful

This is painful for womens hoop no wonder why attendance at RAC is like 600

 

[RU MAN]

TV just showed a sequence where Arella is double teamed. Looked like a foul could have been call each time but wasn’t.

When Arella scored under the basket, that should have been an and one.

 

[RU MAN]

Is Giles some kind of shutdown defender that she gets so much playing time?
She appears to have zero offensive game.

She been terrible on O. And when she shoots a three, one wonders why Stringer doesn't take her out. Again, where's DANIELLE?

 

[RUJMM78]

Minnesota double teaming Girantes on every possession which means Rutgers is in trouble on offense.Minnesota leads 36-35,third quarter.

 

[wngarbarini]

Whelan has taken Rella completely out of the game. We are horrendous shooting. This is beyond embarrassing. 35 points for 3 quarters?