NEW YORK — The Rutgers women’s basketball team had No. 4 Tennessee in its sights more than once at Madison Square Garden today, but each time, fouls got the better of the Scarlet Knights.
In the sixth consecutive loss to Hall of Famer Pat Summitt and the Volunteers, Rutgers committed 22 fouls, putting Tennessee in one-and-one situations before the 10-minute mark in each half.
“We didn’t box out on the free-throw line,” senior guard Brittany Ray said on how fouls led to the team’s demise. “Tennessee got [eight] straight points, and we didn’t recover from their run.”
Tennessee was 26-for-33 from the free throw line whereas Rutgers made seven shots on just 13 attempts.
“Free throws are very important,” said Tennessee forward Shekinna Stricklen who made 11-of-12 free throws. “Coach [Summitt] always stays on us about that in practice. She says that if we can’t get free throws close in the game, we won’t be in the game.”
Sophomore April Sykes’ encouraging performance against Prairie View A&M Wednesday did not translate to a repeat performance against Tennessee. In 32 minutes of action, the Starkville, Miss. native and 2008 McDonald’s All-American made 3-of-12 shots for eight points and pulled in five boards.
Prior to the 3:30 tipoff, all four teams playing in the Maggie Dixon Classic gathered at center court for a ceremony honoring Dixon, who passed away in 2006. Pittsburgh men’s basketball head coach Jamie Dixon presented Stringer with the first annual Maggie Dixon Award.
“I know this is the dream that Maggie wanted,” said Dixon, Maggie Dixon’s brother. “She wanted one day to play a game at Madison Square Garden and now we have that.”
Rutgers is the only team to play in all three Maggie Dixon Classics, winning two straight years against Army before falling to the Volunteers.
Stringer tried out her eighth starting lineup of the season, sending out all four sophomores — guards Nikki Speed, April Sykes and Khadijah Rushdan and forward Chelsey Lee — along with Ray.
Speed took a career-high three charges, two of which coming in the second half with the game within two baskets. She leads the team with eight on the season.
“She did a decent job for Nikki,” Stringer said of Speed, who also dished out six assists.
In the first half of the Maggie Dixon Classic, No. 6 Baylor easily took down Boston College 68-55 behind 25 points and seven rebounds from forward Brittney Griner. Griner, standing at 6-foot-8, put an exclamation mark on the win when she dunked the ball late in the second half.
“I was trying to get one in the last second,” she said. “I always feel like there’s expectations for me to do a dunk. If I do a layup and it looks like I could’ve dunked everyone goes ‘oooooh’, but it’s still two points.”
Former Rutgers forward Brooklyn Pope did not play for Baylor via NCAA transfer regulations and was not on the bench during the game.
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