Tag: Kaylene Smikle

Rutgers women’s basketball looks to get back on track against Michigan State

Rutgers women’s basketball is looking to bounce back this weekend with a Big Ten game.

In their February finale, Rutgers women’s basketball is set to take on Michigan State on Saturday afternoon. Rutgers will be looking to end their two-game skid against a Spartans team with 19 wins.

As Rutger looks to pull off an upset, they will be tasked with stopping Julia Ayrault. The Grosse Pointe Woods native is averaging a team-high 14.9 points per game. In the Spartans latest win over Purdue on February 21 Ayrault added 12 points and eight rebounds to her resume.

 

While Michigan State will be heavily favored, their main challenge will be stopping Destiny Adams. She has been a scoring machine for Rutgers, averaging 15.3 points per game. Only Kaylene Smikle has been better.

For Rutgers to pull off an upset, they must play a complete game. Against the Maryland Terrapins on Wednesday they were outscored 22-4 in the second quarter. As Rutgers offense struggled to get anything going, Maryland built a lead they would not relinquish.

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Against a talented Michigan State team, there will be little room for error. This game also represents a perfect chance for Rutgers to conquer their road demons. Rutgers is 1-9 away from Jersey Mike’s Arena this season.

Rutgers women’s basketball looking to end six game skid in matchup with Ohio State

Rutgers women’s basketball plays No. 17 Ohio State on Thursday night.

On Thursday night, Rutgers women’s basketball will be looking to turn their season around against the No. 17 Ohio State. Rutgers has lost six straight after starting the season 6-5. They are also 0-4 in conference play.

As the Scarlet Knights look to end their Big Ten struggles, they will need a big game from their stars. That includes Kaylene Smikle and Destiny Adams. Smikle is averaging a team-high 16.1 points a game a season, while Adams has been a rebounds machine, averaging 7.4 rebounds a game.

Their biggest challenge will be stopping Jacy Sheldon, who has set the offensive tone for Ohio State. In the Buckeyes most recent win over Northwestern on Friday, the Ohio native scored 18 points. Sheldon has reached the 30-point mark twice in her last five games.

 

Additionally, the Buckeyes have fared well in conference play this season. They have posted a 2-1 mark, the third-best record in the Big Ten. It would be one of their best wins of the season if Rutgers pulls off an upset.

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This matchup also presents an opportunity for Rutgers to improve on the road. They are 0-4 away from Jersey Mike’s Arena. To turn their season around, improving on the road and against Big Ten teams will be essential for Rutgers.

Rutgers women’s basketball: Caitlin Clark leads Iowa into Piscataway

Rutgers women’s basketball set to host Iowa on Friday.

On Friday night, Rutgers women’s basketball will face their toughest test of the season in No. 4 Iowa. The Hawkeyes, ranked as the fourth-best team in the country, are led by one of the best players in the nation, Caitlin Clark.

Rutgers’ home venue, Jersey Mike’s Arena, is sold-out for the game.

Entering this matchup, the Hawkeyes are heavily favored due to their 14-1 start. They have won 11 straight games and have not lost since November 16. During their winning streak, Caitlin Clark has been a human highlight reel.

While Rutgers enters this game on a five-game losing streak, their last two games have provided some optimism. After getting off to slow starts, the Scarlet Knights have battled back to make games close. However, against Iowa, a slow start will be fatal.

 

Against the Hawkeyes, Rutgers will need Kaylene Smikle and Chyna Cornwell at their best. Smikle has set the tone offensively, averaging 16.1 points a game. Cornwell has been a rebound machine, averaging a team-high 8.5 rebounds a game. If they struggled it will be a long night for Rutgers.

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Although the talented duo will be watched closely, all eyes will be on Caitlin Clark. The Des Moines native is averaging 31.5 points per game. She is also coming off a 40-point performance against Michigan State.

With the Scarlet Knights still searching for their first conference win, they will have their hands full on Friday.

Rutgers women’s basketball: Purdue on tap for the first game of 2024

Purdue is next on tap for Rutgers women’s basketball.

After a few days off, Rutgers will take on Purdue in their first game of 2024. The Scarlet Knights are looking to end their four-game losing streak and record their first Big Ten win of the season. For a team with high expectations, the Boilermakers will be a good test.

As Rutgers attempts to get back in the win column, they will need Kaylene Smikle and Destiny Adams at their best. The talented duo scored a combined 11 points against Northwestern on Saturday. As they struggled to get on the board, Rutgers had no answer for the Wildcats.

They will be tasked with stopping Abbey Ellis, who has been a scoring machine for Purdue. The Melbourne native is averaging a team-high 14.7 points and 2.1 assists per game. In Purdue’s latest win against Wisconsin, Ellis added 12 points to her resume.

While Rutgers heads into this game as the underdogs, they will be motivated to stun the college basketball world. Purdue is tied for second in the Big Ten with a 1-1 record in conference play.

Tuesday marks the start of a tough stretch for the Scarlet Knights. Their January schedule will feature all Big Ten teams.

Rutgers women’s basketball: Top five players in 2023

So far this season, Rutgers has gotten contributions from everyone on the roster, but five players in particular have stood out.

With Rutgers 2023 schedule in the books, there are many positives for the Scarlet Knights to look back on. Through 15 games, Rutgers has posted a 6-9 record and been competitive regardless of the opponent. That has created optimism heading into a January full of Big Ten play.

So far this season, Rutgers has gotten contributions from everyone on the roster, but five players in particular have stood out. That list includes Destiny Adams, Kaylene Smikle, Chyna Cornwell, Mya Petticord and Kassondra Brown. That group has made the Scarlet Knights a tough matchup on a daily basis.

 

Additionally, Adams and Smikle have led the way offensively over the last few months. The talented duo are averaging over ten points a game and making a difference on the boards. Cornwell, Petticord and Brown have been reliable depth options and made the most of their playing time.

Scroll down for a breakdown of their 2023 campaigns!

Rutgers women’s basketball falls to Virginia Tech

Rutgers women’s basketball loses to Virginia Tech on Sunday.

On Sunday afternoon, Rutgers continued to struggle against ranked teams in an 84-59 loss to Virginia Tech. After getting off to a promising start, the Scarlet Knights have lost three straight games. Against the Hokies, their defense proved to be no match.

After the first quarter ended in a 13-13 tie, the Hokies began to build a lead they would not relinquish. They outscored the Scarlet Knights 43-26 in the second and third quarter.

Virginia Tech was led by Matilda Ekh, who scored 27 points and made seven 3-pointers. She got some help from Georgia Amoore, who scored 18 points. The Hokies got scoring from throughout the lineup as Olivia Summiel and Elizabeth Kitley also scored double digits.

 

While Rutgers didn’t get the results they wanted, there were still a few bright spots. Kaylene Smikle continued to be a scoring machine, scoring 22 points. It was the first time in two weeks she reached the 20-point mark.

The biggest problem for Rutgers in this game was their inability to limit the Hokies offense. Virginia Tech had 15 offensive rebounds and only committed nine fouls. That helped them build a lead that Rutgers was unable to overcome.

Rutgers’s focus now shifts to their New Year’s Eve matchup with Northwestern. It will be their second conference game of the season.

Rutgers women’s basketball face tough battle in Virgina Tech

Rutgers women’s basketball plays Virginia Tech on Sunday.

On Sunday afternoon, Rutgers will face their toughest test of the season so far in Virginia Tech. The Hokies are ranked as the No. 16 team in the country and have won two straight. As the Scarlet Knights look to end their two-game losing streak, they have a chance to stun the college basketball world.

Rutgers will need big games from Kaylene Smikle and Destiny Adams to pull off an upset. Smikle has been a scoring machine this year, averaging 16.8 points. Adams has been a menace on the boards, averaging 7.7 rebounds a game.

 

The talented duo will be tasked with shutting down Elizabeth Kitley. The North Carolina native is averaging a team-high 21.7 points and 11.4 rebounds a game for the Hokies. She will have to be at her best in front of a packed crowd at Jersey Mike’s Arena.

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While Sunday’s matchup will be full of fireworks, Rutgers will have the home-court advantage. So far this season, they are 6-3 at home and 0-4 on the road. They have been at their best in front of the Rutgers faithful.

Additionally, Rutgers must be better in the fourth quarter. In their last two games, the Scarlet Knights have struggled to get big stops in the second half. That will be key in giving them a chance against a talented Virginia Tech team.

Rutgers unable to conquer road demons against Princeton

Rutgers women’s basketball struggled at Princeton.

On Wednesday night, Rutgers women’s basketball’s road woes continued at Princeton. The Scarlet Knights suffered a 66-55 loss as Princeton set the tone early with a big first half.

With 1,307 people in attendance, the Tigers outscored Rutgers 38-17 in the first two quarters. The Scarlet Knights played better in the second half, but that was not enough, as they fell to 0-2 on the road.

On a night when the Tigers offense proved problematic, Kaitlyn Chen led the way offensively with 19 points. She also got help from Madison St. Rose, who scored 17 points, her second-highest total of the season. While Chen and St. Rose shined, Princeton’s defense played a key role.

 

Part of Rutgers problems were due to their ability to take care of the ball. They committed 21 turnovers and 11 fouls. That made it hard for the Scarlet Knights to gain momentum and cut the Tigers lead to single digits.

Regardless of the results, there were still some positives from Wednesday night. Kaylene Smikle continued to be a scoring machine with 14 points and Antonia Bates added 14 of her own.

Rutgers will be back in action on Sunday afternoon when they take on a ranked team for the second time this season in Virginia Tech.

Rutgers winter athletics are off to a good start in December

With the halfway point of December quickly approaching, Rutgers winter athletics has been a winning machine of late.

With the halfway point of December quickly approaching, Rutgers winter athletics has been a winning machine of late. Men’s basketball won their first matchup of the season against Seton Hall on Saturday. Wrestling has also lived up to the preseason hype with a 5-1 start.

However, they are not the only sports that have stood out. Women’s basketball is off to a solid start, and they showed some encouraging signs in their loss to Indiana over the weekend. The matchup marked Rutgers most challenging task yet, as the Hoosiers are ranked as the 16th-best team in the country.

 

For many Rutgers fans, December has been marked on the calendar for a few weeks. On the 28th, Rutgers football is set to take on Miami in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. It is the first time in over eight years that the Scarlet Knights are participating in a bowl game.

Scroll down and check out how Rutgers sports have been doing this winter!

Rutgers women’s basketball looking to get back in the win column against Princeton

Rutgers women’s basketball has a big mid-week game against Princeton.

Following their first loss to a Big Ten team last week against Indiana, Rutgers will be looking for redemption on Wednesday night. The Scarlet Knights are set to face a Princeton team off to a 7-3 start. This matchup will mark Rutgers second away game of the season.

As the Scarlet Knights try to get back on track, they will need a big night from their stars. Through 12 games, Kaylene Smikle has set the tone offensively by averaging 17 points a game. She has also gotten help from Destiny Adams, who is averaging 13.3 points per game.

While the talented Rutgers duo will be players to watch, the Princeton Tigers are full of talent. They have been led offensively by Kaitlyn Chen, who is averaging 16.6 points per game. Ellie Mitchell has been a monster on the boards by averaging over ten rebounds a game.

 

Additionally, Wednesday represents an opportunity for Rutgers to secure their first road win of the season. However, they will have their work cut out for them. So far this season, the Tigers are 3-0 at home.

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For Rutgers to leave Jadwin Gymnasium with a win, their offense must be at its best. They will also have to find a way to shut down the Tigers’ offense in the fourth quarter. Against Indiana, Rutgers was unable to get a big stop and shift the momentum in their favor in the second half.