 "Photo: Brian Dominiecki/Staff Photographer")
On Sunday, the Rutgers women's basketball team (14-5, 7-2) extended its winning streak to five games as it defeated in state rival Seton Hall (11-9, 5-5) 60-45, allowing the Scarlet Knights to take sole possession of second place in the Big East standings.
The game pitted Seton Hall's eighth ranked scoring defense against the Knights, who ranked 16th fewest turnovers.
In the first half, it seemed as if the Pirates defense was going to get the best of the Knights ball-handling skills. The Knights accumulated 13 turnovers in the first half while shooting a miserable 31.8 percent from the field. But more importantly, they were able to do something that few other teams in the Big East were able to do -- contain sophomore point guard Cappie Pondexter. The Pirates defense held Pondexter to only two points on 1 of 6 shooting in the first half.
Only shooting 7 of 22 from the field, the Knights decided to fight fire with fire and depend on their defense. The Knights picked the Pirates' pocket six times in the first half leading to 12 point -- more than half of their first stanza points coming solely off turnovers. This game marked the 12th time in their 14 victories that they Knights defense has held its opponent under 60 points.
With a three by Seton Hall senior Cecilia Lindqvist with three seconds left on the clock in the first half, Rutgers went into the locker room down one and looking for a way to fix their first half turnover problems.
"We went in at halftime and we knew that we had to correct some things," senior guard Mauri Horton said. "We needed to rebound better and stop turning the ball over. We did that and were able to come out strong in the second half."
The Knights seemed to have corrected all of their problems by the 11 minute mark in the second half, when the count was tied up at 26 apiece. Rutgers began to press the Pirates, enabling them to take off on a 7-0 run and never look back. The Knights were able to limit themselves to only four turnovers in the second half and behind the four players in double figures -- including an unthinkable second half by Pondexter who finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and two steals.
This was Pondexter's eighth time this season surpassing the 20 point barrier, the 11th consecutive time she has put up double digits and her third straight 20 point game.
"Cappie Pondexter is a heck of a player. She made a lot of great plays," Seton Hall coach Phyllis Mangina said. "I told Vivian early on that I think she is not just one of the great players in the conference, but in the nation, and she proved that today."
Yesterday's win showed not only composure on the Knights behalf, but consistency by key players. Especially sophomore post player Mariota Theodoris, who finished the game with 10 points, tying her career high, five rebounds, and two key blocks.
"We haven't been able to get anything going in the post, but now a lot of things are clicking" coach Stringer said.
This is Theodoris' second straight breakout game as she played well in the comeback victory against Miami.
Once again junior guard Dawn McCullouch sparked the Knights off the bench with a 13 point, four rebound, and three steal game, which helped Rutgers pull away down the stretch.
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