/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72028487/usa_today_19981641.0.jpg)
Kaylene Smikle scored 26 points in the opener of the Big Ten Tournament as 11th-seeded Rutgers survived against 14th-seeded Northwestern in Minneapolis.
The Scarlet Knights have now won a game in the Big Ten Tournament in back-to-back years. They will be the last game of the night on Thursday, taking on sixth-seeded Illinois.
Smikle became the program’s all-time leading scorer with 551 points following her performance. She is now the third freshman in program history to hit 500 points.
Both sides went back-and-forth following a slow start. Rutgers (12-19, 5-13) took its first lead of the night with 1:15 left in the first quarter on a Smikle three-point play. The freshman scored 21 of her 26 points in the first half.
Rutgers used a 10-0 run in the second quarter to build a 12-point lead but Northwestern (9-21, 2-16) ended the half with five in a row.
The Scarlet Knights could not hold off Northwestern over the course of the second half. The Wildcats began the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run to even the game at 51. With two minutes left in the contest, a Chyna Cornwell layup gave Rutgers a six-point lead and it was able to survive and advance.
Cornwell domiated down low, logging 15 points and 16 rebounds. Awa Sidibe and Kai Carter added 11 points each.
SURVIVE AND ADVANCE‼️
— Rutgers W.Basketball (@RutgersWBB) March 1, 2023
Rutgers defeats Northwestern to move onto to the second round of the Big Ten Tournament #GoRU | #RUWBB | #B1GWBBall pic.twitter.com/qRhI4gmAJ6
Loading comments...