When No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball’s Big Ten schedule was released, Thursday’s matchup at Rutgers was supposed to mean more for one of its stars.
It was not meant to be.
Kaylene Smikle, who spent the
first two seasons of her collegiate career with the Scarlet Knights, was slated to return to Jersey Mike’s Arena. But Smikle opted to undergo season-ending surgery on Dec. 7, thus prolonging her return to Piscataway.
Maryland’s now-thin lineup will attempt to secure a second straight victory. Thursday’s game will tip off at 7 p.m. and stream on Big Ten Plus.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-7, 0-4 Big Ten)
2024-25 record: 13-20, 3-15 Big Ten
Head coach Coquese Washington is in her fourth season with the Scarlet Knights, but her time in Piscataway has not been fruitful. Last season, Rutgers had its highest win total under Washington, but only won three conference games.
Rutgers won five Big Ten games in Washington’s first year with the program, but that total has steadily declined. This season’s conference play started poorly, as Rutgers lost to three ranked opponents and Wisconsin.
Maryland will likely be the Scarlet Knights’ toughest opponent yet. The two teams have played two common opponents: Princeton and Wisconsin. The Terps are 2-0 against those programs, while the Scarlet Knights are 0-2.
Players to watch
Nene Ndiaye, junior forward, 6-foot-1, No. 10 — Ndiaye is in her first season with Rutgers after spending two seasons with Boston College. She leads the Scarlet Knights with 15.3 points per game and is also the team’s best shooter, going 48.8% from the field and 41% from deep. Ndiaye is second on the team in rebounding, averaging 5.7 boards per game. She also leads the team with 26 steals.
Imani Lester, redshirt junior forward, 6-foot-3, No. 30 — Lester is in her first season in Piscataway after spending time with Kansas State and Louisville. She’s the Scarlet Knights’ anchor, leading the team with 18 total blocks and ranking as the team’s second-highest scorer — 11.1 points per game on 47.2% shooting.
Zachara Perkins, sophomore guard/forward, 6-foot-3, No. 22 — Perkins is in her second season with Rutgers, and has started 42 of her 46 career games. She places third on the team in scoring, averaging 10.4 points per game. Perkins is also Rutgers’ third-most productive rebounder, averaging 5.4 boards per game.
Strength
Defense. Rutgers has better averages in most defensive categories than its opponents this season. The Scarlet Knights average 39.1 rebounds per game compared to their opponents’ average of 34.9. Rutgers’ 8.7 steals per game is also better than its opponents’ 7.5.
Weakness
Offense. Rutgers is worse in almost every offensive category than its opponents this season. Its opponents score more, shoot better and move the ball more efficiently. Rutgers does get to the free throw line more than its opponents on average, but shoots worse from the charity stripe. The Scarlet Knights also average 17.1 turnovers per game.
Three things to watch
1. The Terps’ first loss didn’t hurt them. After suffering its first loss of the season last week to Illinois, Maryland only moved down one spot in the Associated Press poll to No. 8. Maryland helped itself by winning two other games last week, but it was also aided by No. 9 Michigan and No. 12 LSU suffering more detrimental losses — both programs were previously ranked ahead of the Terps.
2. Born to Run in Jersey. The Terps will head to the land of Bruce Springsteen and the Sopranos, where they’ve been dominant since joining the Big Ten. Maryland is 16-1 against Rutgers since joining the Big Ten and 8-0 in Piscataway.
2. Marya Boiko’s increased role. Over the past two games, Marya Boiko played a combined 41 minutes and notched 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists. She has seen her playing time increase since the New Year, and has been impactful those minutes. With Maryland’s roster shortened due to injuries, she could turn into a reliable piece for head coach Brenda Frese.
