Rutgers women break into top 25

As the Knights prepare to open 2018 at home, two pieces of news have broken, and both indicate a continuation of good things happening for women’s hoops.

First came the “also receiving votes” and now a ranking in the polls.

On a nine game winning streak, Rutgers (14-2, 2-0) earned the No. 25 spot in the USA Today/WBCA poll with wins over Purdue (58-50 at home) and Michigan State (61-58 on the road) to close out 2017 and begin the Big Ten portion of the schedule.

Illinois (9-7, 0-2) comes to the RAC Wednesday night for a 7:00 pm tip. The Illini have lost three in row under first year coach Nancy Fahey.

Then there’s Tyler Scaife

For the third time this season, senior Tyler Scaife earned recognition on the Big Ten honor roll.

Scaife helped the scarlet to back-to-back Big Ten wins averaging 24.0 points per game. She now has eleven 20+ point games this season and has netted 20 or more points in seven-straight contests. She scored 10 of her game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter of last Thursday's Big Ten opening victory over Purdue. Scaife followed with a game-high 25 points and a key block of the potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer in the 61-58 victory Michigan State.

Tyler Scaife now has 1,956 career points and needs 44 points to become the third Scarlet Knight to collect 2,000 career points and 256 more to move into second place on the all-time list past Cappie Pondexter (2002-2006).

Among active players, Tyler is No. 6 in Division 1.

1 Kelsey Mitchell , Ohio St. 2,940

2 Katelynn Flaherty , Michigan 2,361

3 Jasmine Nwajei , Syracuse 2,121

4 Victoria Vivians , Mississippi St. 2,051

5 A'Ja Wilson , South Carolina 1,961

6 Tyler Scaife, Rutgers 1,956

STRINGER MILESTONE NUMBERS

Rutgers head coach Stringer has a 991-392 career record in 47 seasons and is nine wins away from joining the elite 1,000 career victories club in women's basketball.

USA Today/WBCA Poll

On the Banks graphics