Tag: Erica Lafayette

Big Ten Tournament: Rutgers women’s basketball is looking to make a run

Rutgers women’s basketball plays in the Big Ten Tournament against Minnesota.

On Wednesday night, Rutgers women’s basketball will take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Neither team exactly comes into the conference tournament with momentum.

Both Rutgers and Minnesota have each won one time in their last five games. Rutgers only win in that span came against Minnesota on February 13.

As Rutgers looks to win its second straight against Minnesota, they will need Destiny Adams and Erica Lafayette to have big nights. In her last five games, Adams has been a points machine with at least double-digit points every game during that span. She has gotten help from Lafayette, who has scored 31 combined points in her last two games.

 

However, they will have their hands full with Mara Braun. The Golden Gophers star is averaging a team-high 17.8 points per game. In Minnesota’s loss to Illinois on Sunday, Braun was a bright spot with 18 points and five rebounds.

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Additionally, Rutgers must play a complete game to finish the season strong. They have struggled to get back into games after getting off to slow starts. That is something that Minnesota will take advantage of.

 

Rutgers women’s basketball opens March with loss to Northwestern

Rutgers women’s basketball closes the Big Ten regular season with a loss.

On Sunday afternoon, Rutgers women’s basketball continued to struggle against Big Ten teams in their latest conference loss. The Scarlet Knights closed out the Big Ten regular season with a 72-61 loss to Northwestern.

With the loss, Rutgers finishes the Big Ten regular season with an 8-23 (2-16 Big Ten) record. Next up for Rutgers is a game against Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament.

While Rutgers played better in the second half, they were unable to
recover from a slow start. They were outscored 36-28 in the first half as Northwestern thrived close to the basket. The Wildcats scored 28 points in the paint.

Although Sunday did not go as planned for Rutgers, there were a few players who had impressive games. That includes Destiny Adams and Erica Lafayette. Adams added 14 points and six rebounds to her resume. Lafayette scored more than ten points for the second straight game.

 

 

Against the Wildcats, Rutgers was again unable to play a complete game. They only outscored Northwestern in the fourth quarter, but at that point the game was out of reach. From three-point range, Rutgers shot 25 percent.

Last year in the Big Ten Tournament

Rutgers women’s basketball closes out February with loss to Michigan State

Rutgers women’s basketball suffers another Big Ten loss.

On Saturday night, February’s portion of Rutgers women’s basketball season came to an end in disappointing fashion. The Scarlet Knights took on the Michigan State Spartans and were unable to get many stops in a 93-57 loss.

As Michigan State improved to 20-7, they got contributions through the roster. They were led by Moira Joiner, who added 22 points and three rebounds to her resume. She got help from Julia Ayrault and Abbey Kimball, who scored 17 points.

With the loss, Rutgers is now 8-22 (2-15 Big Ten).

 

While the Spartans were able to score at will, they were particularly good close to the basket. They outscored Rutgers in the paint 42-18. That allowed Michigan State to build a lead early that they would not relinquish.

Although Saturday night did not go as planned for Rutgers, there were a few bright spots. That includes Erica Lafayette, who had one of her best games of the season. The Baton Rouge native scored 20 points and added two rebounds to her resume. The only other Rutgers players to score double figures were Destiny Adams and Jillian Huerter.

With their 30th game of the season in the books, Rutgers will shift their focus to their season finale against Northwestern on March 3. The Scarlet Knights will have an excellent opportunity to end their season with a win, as Northwestern is 8-19.

Rutgers women’s basketball: Erica Lafayette is showing encouraging signs as a junior

Rutgers women’s basketball is getting a solid contribution from Erica Lafayette.

Entering the 2022-2023 campaign, Erica Lafayette was not known for her offense. The Baton Rouge native averaged 1.6 points per game as a freshman and 0.6 points per game as a sophomore. Her offensive game has taken a step forward in her third season as a Scarlet Knight.

Through 28 games this season, Lafayette is averaging a career-high 6.2 points a game. She has scored ten or more points seven points this season and made the most of her opportunities. While Rutgers is in the midst of a rebuilding season, Lafayette has been one of the bright spots.

As the regular season enters its final weeks, Lafayette is one player who will be part of Rutgers plans next season. She has been aggressive on the boards, with 72 rebounds while adding 11 steals to her resume. Due to her improved play, she is averaging a career-high 22.6 minutes a game.

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Looking towards the 2023-2024 season, Lafayette could have a similar role. She isn’t expected to carry the offense but has provided some scoring and solid defense. Her biggest area of improvement will be her three-point shooting percentage which has fallen below 30 percent the last two seasons. As a freshman, Lafayette shot 66.7 from three-point range.

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Lafayette has shown that she can be part of the solution for a Rutgers team that will be hoping to take a step forward next season.

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