Freshman guard Briyona Canty shoots over St. John's junior guard Shenneika Smith on Sunday at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. Canty shot 0-for-4 in 22 minutes of play. (Conor Alwell / Staff Photographer)
The Rutgers women’s basketball team has endured many trends in its four-game losing skid, from its shooting deficiency to struggles in ball distribution.
The Scarlet Knights’ lack of productivity from the bench has been as prevalent as anything, as was the case in their 61-52 loss Sunday to St. John’s.
Rutgers’ bench only scored three baskets, a shot apiece from junior guard Erica Wheeler and freshman guards Syessence Davis and Shakena Richardson.
Wheeler, a usual starter for Rutgers, came off the bench for the last three Rutgers games. She scored only four points against St. John’s, shooting 1-of-5.
“Erica … needs to come and join us because we’re in trouble,” said head coach C. Vivian Stringer. “It’s really not that [Wheeler] can’t shake it out. It’s more psychological.”
The Knights enter West Virginia on Wednesday to take on a team fresh off of a victory against No. 2 Notre Dame. Stringer changed the starting five against St. John’s by starting senior forward April Sykes and activating fifth-year senior guard Khadijah Rushdan. The lineup against the Mountaineers is still uncertain.
– Josh Bakan
