Rutgers women's basketball falls flat in road loss to Illinois
The Rutgers women's basketball team fell to Illinois 96-68 on Wednesday night. The Scarlet Knights (6-14, 0-7) started off slowly against the Fighting Illini (8-8, 2-4) and were ultimately unable to overcome their poor start to the game.
Illinois came out on the front foot, hitting its first six shots. The Fighting Illini got out to a 23-5 lead while Rutgers struggled to score in the first quarter and only made 2 of its 11 field goals. Freshman guard Jillian Huerter scored the only points for the Knights in the opening quarter.
Rutgers improved its shooting in the second quarter, as sophomore guard Mya Petticord nailed back-to-back three-pointers, senior guard Erica Lafayette knocked down a three of her own and Huerter continued her perfect shooting. At the 1:42 mark, the Knights were able to cut the deficit down to 7 points.
Rutgers would score 29 points in the second quarter but could not contain Genesis Bryant and Kendall Bostic, as the duo combined for 20 points in the first half. Illinois hit approximately 61 percent of its shots and had a 45-34 lead at halftime.
The Fighting Illini continued making shots to begin the third quarter and played strong defense, as the Knights were only able to score 4 points in the first 4 minutes of the quarter. Rutgers started to hit its shots with points from junior guard and forward Destiny Adams and senior center Chyna Cornwell, but Illinois responded with some buckets of its own and led 67-54 at the end of the third quarter.
The Knights could not carve into the Fighting Illini's lead in the fourth quarter and suffered their ninth-straight defeat.
Adalia McKenzie and Bryant led Illinois with 14 points and 17 points, respectively.
Adams continued her strong performances, as she had a game-high 26 points and corralled in six rebounds. Petticord scored 16 points and shot 6-10 from the field. Sophomore guard and forward Antonia Bates fouled out in 20 minutes of play and did not register a point.
Rutgers committed 13 turnovers and was outrebounded 38-27. With the loss, the Knights remain winless in conference play and currently sit at the bottom of the Big Ten.
Rutgers will look to snap its losing streak when it returns to Jersey Mike's Arena on Livingston campus to face off against Michigan on Sunday. The game will tip off at 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus and 88.7 WRSU-FM.
For more updates on the Rutgers women's basketball team, follow @TargumSports on X.
To view more of Matthew Mangam's work, follow @matthewmangam on X.
