NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Privateers women's basketball team (1-6) will play the first of two games in the Northeast on Sunday when they face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-8) on Sunday. Tip is scheduled for 1 p.m. CST on the Big Ten Network.
The Privateers are coming off a heartbreaking 67-63 loss in overtime against Mississippi Valley State on Wednesday. New Orleans pulled down 57 rebounds (25 offensive) but a 7-0 run to start the overtime period by the Devilettes sealed the win in their favor.
Tara Green is coming off a career game where she posted 20 points and 12 rebounds. It was the first double-double for Green as a Privateer and the first for anybody in a Privateer uniform this season. Green had two double-doubles in her first season at Kilgore College.
New Orleans continues to turn teams over at a high rate. Their 10.1 steals per game rank second in the Southland entering Sunday. That total also ranks 70
th in the nation.
DeArica Pryor played all 45 minutes on Wednesday. It was the second time she did that as a Privateer. The 45 minutes are tied for the fifth-most in program history. Danielle Davis holds the program record with 53 minutes played in a triple overtime game against McNeese.
This is the first ever meeting between the two sides. This is the first game against a Big Ten school since November 29, 2002 when the Privateers faced off against Minnesota.
Rutgers is coming in off a 77-56 loss to Princeton. The Scarlet Knights entered the half with a 32-22 lead but were outscored 55-24 in the second half. Kaylene Smikle scored a career-high 26 points for the Scarlet Knights.
The Scarlet Knights have played a schedule that has seen four teams who were either nationally ranked at the time or receiving votes: Texas, South Dakota State, Tennessee and Ohio State.
Smikle and Awa Sidibe both average in double figures, combining for just over 26 points per game. Chyna Cornwell is the team's leader in rebounds (8.6 RPG) and field goal percentage (.506). Rutgers has just eight players on the roster but seven have played in every game. Kassondra Brown only missed one game this season.
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