Rutgers Women's Basketball obliterated at home by No. 12 Iowa
Rutgers Women’s Basketball managed to keep it close against Iowa last season, but in the previous two years the Hawkeyes (9-0) put up over 100 points and won by over 30 points each.
The Scarlet Knights (7-3) fell victim to that trend once again this year.
No. 12 Iowa dominated all 40 minutes and cruised to a 79-36 victory to open the Big Ten slate at Jersey Mike’s Arena.
Rutgers had a disastrous offensive performance, shooting 14-for-64 (22 percent) from the floor, with a 1-for-12 mark from the three-point line. The Hawkeyes simply shut down anything the Scarlet Knights tried to do, as they did not even reach the 20-point mark in the game until minutes into the fourth quarter.
Zachara Perkins was the lone scorer in double-digits for Rutgers, with 11 points on 4-for-10 shooting.
Leading scorer Ava Heiden led the way for Iowa, scoring an efficient 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting with four rebounds and five assists in just 22 minutes. Guards Taylor McCabe and Journey Houston each scored in double figures for the Hawkeyes as well, with 14 points each.
Iowa was able to rack up 44 points in the paint, and won the rebounding battle 47-35.
Hawkeyes fly high at the basket
Even from the tip-off, it was clear Iowa had one goal in mind: Get to the rim, and get there often.
The Hawkeyes lived in the post in the opening half, scoring 30 of their 42 points in the paint and shooting 14-for-19 on layups. Even with Rutgers’ two-forward lineup, Heiden and Stuelke got to their spots easily, setting the stage for a runaway effect on offense. Heiden scored Iowa’s first eight points and dished three assists in the first quarter as well.
That dominance also extended to the rebounding battle. The Hawkeyes finished the first half with seven more shot attempts despite the Scarlet Knights’ fast-paced offense, thanks to 10 offensive rebounds that led to 11 second-chance points.
Rutgers finished the opening half with a 3-for-16 mark on layups.
Offensive wheels fall off
In addition to Iowa’s dominance at the basket, the defense overall held the Scarlet Knights’ offense in check.
Rutgers was unable to put together any consistent offense, finishing the first half with an ugly 4-for-31 (12.9 percent) mark from the floor. It also did not help the defense, setting up the Hawkeyes’ dangerous transition game with nine turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.
Once again, the Scarlet Knights simply were not able to hit any shots, going on a scoring drought that lasted seven minutes and 26 seconds, while missing 12 consecutive field goals within that timeframe. Faith Blackstone snapped the streak with a steal and transition layup.
The offensive woes continued into the second half, as the Hawkeyes continued to balloon their lead and kept up in that direction throughout the second half.
The Scarlet Knights only scored double-digit points in a quarter once, in the fourth quarter once the game was fully out of reach. They scored just 18 points in the first three quarters, including just four in the third quarter.
Worries for the future
This was Rutgers’ second game against a high-major opponent this season, with the first coming against Auburn, another game the Scarlet Knights failed to consistently generate scoring opportunities before falling 51-46.
This is a worrisome sign of things to come, as even in the nonconference slate against lesser opponents, the offense still was not able to play a consistent game.
Another test looms ahead against Princeton, a team that received votes in the latest AP poll at 9-1, and is 1-1 against the Big Ten so far, with a win over Penn State in the Battle4Atlantis and a close loss to No. 7 Maryland, where the Tigers stayed in the game for a large stretch before the Terrapins pulled away in the fourth quarter.
While the Hawkeyes are another strong team that returns many pieces, the non-competitive nature of this game casts doubt on whether the Scarlet Knights can improve on last season’s 15th-place finish in the Big Ten, especially given the top-to-bottom depth of the conference. They have seven ranked teams — as well as Princeton — remaining on the schedule.
Up next
Rutgers Women’s Basketball goes back to its final nonconference stretch next week, as the Scarlet Knights go on the road for the second time, heading down Route 1 to Princeton to face the Tigers.
The game will tip off at 7:30 pm at Jadwin Gymnasium, with television information still to come.
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