Rutgers women’s basketball survived a 64-62 scare from Monmouth on Wednesday, in a game where they had to overcome a 17-point deficit to secure the win. Mia Pauldo continues to be the breakout star for her team early on as she delivered the game-winning basket with three seconds left on the clock to secure the win.
Rutgers got off to a very slow start in the first quarter, trailing 19-9 at the end. Monmouth continued to build its advantage in the second period, taking a 38-26 lead into halftime after
stretching its margin to as many as 17 points.
Momentum would take a massive swing the other way coming out of the break as Rutgers held Monmouth to just six points in the third quarter, outscoring the Hawks 18-6 to erase the deficit. Both teams would enter the fourth quarter with the game tied at 44-44.
The fourth quarter featured several lead changes as both teams traded baskets. Zachara Perkins put Rutgers in front with a basket before Monmouth tied the score at 62-62 with 11 seconds left. However, those 11 seconds would be just enough time for Pauldo to go to work, as she secured the final basket before Rutgers nabbed a steal to end the game.
Pauldo once again led the way for the Knights with 17 points, while Perkins and Zennia Thomas both led the way in rebounds with seven each. Pauldo and Perkins also led in assists with four.
Defensively, the Knights allowed Monmouth to hit 48% of their shots, 26 out of 54, but only allowed 26 percent on three-pointers, five out of 19. The Hawks gave the Knights trouble in the paint, as they outscored Rutgers 34-26 underneath the basket. Gigi Gamble, the Hawks’ starting guard, gave the Knights fits all night, as she scored 30 points, hitting 12 of 19 shots.
One area where the Knights did well in defensively was turnovers, as the Hawks committed 22 turnovers on the day.
While the fact that the Knights had the grit to rally back from a 17-point deficit is something to be happy about, the fact that they fell into a 17-point hole to begin with against a team like Monmouth is cause for a little concern. While the Hawks posted a good record of 21-12 last year, they still play at a much lower level than Rutgers. The good news is that the Knights still have a bunch of out-of-conference games against weaker opponents to remedy their issues before Big Ten play starts.
Up next, the Knights will welcome UAlbany to Piscataway for a matchup on Monday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m.
