Dec. 17, 2006
PISCATAWAY, NJ — Coach Lisa Bluder’s Iowa womens’ basketball team ran into a hot-handed, determined Rutgers team Saturday night and paid for it, coming up on the short end of a 70-53 score.
The home team – coached by former UI head coach C. Vivian Stringer – raced to 24-6 lead in the game’s first 10 minutes and never looked back in part because they were the gang that could shoot straight: The Scarlet Knights blistered the nets at 51 percent clip, a mark that included five of nine shooting from behind the arc.
Iowa did manage to pull within eight at 30-22 when Wendy Ausdemore nailed a three-pointer with 1:45 left in the first stanza, but the Scarlet Knights rebounded to stretch the lead into the 20s during the second half.
Rutgers also forced Iowa into 22 turnovers and held the Hawkeyes to just 39 percent success from the field.
A bright spot for the Hawkeyes? Megan Skouby. Playing before family who made the trip from her hometown in Ohio – and after being held scoreless in Iowa’s last game at Wisconsin-Green Bay – the sophomore center returned to form, pacing Iowa with 19 points. Wendy Ausdemore added 15.
Rutgers had three players in double-digits: Epiphanny Prince with 18, Kia Vaughn with 16 and Brittany Ray with 14.
“We struggled scoring and didn’t handle Rutgers’ double team in the quarter court tonight. Rutgers played with more confidence and exhibited more leadership than us tonight,” said Bluder, whose team is now 7-4.
“We need to learn to take better care of the basketball and find more scoring than what we’re getting now.”
Iowa returns to action Tuesday when they entertain Northern Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.