WASHINGTON – As the final seconds of first half ticked away here at McDonough Arena, Rutgers senior Brittany Ray charged down the floor, looking for an easy bucket to cut into a seven-point deficit to Georgetown.
Except Ray was called for a charge – another opportunity wasted during this rocky season in an eventual 59-50 loss.
On the bench after the foul, head coach C. Vivian Stringer tossed her game notes to the ground. The paper lay in a crunched heap by her feet.
As the opening seconds of the second half ticked away, freshman Erica Wheeler slapped the basketball away from Georgetown’s Jaleesa Butler and zoomed ahead. Her lay-up was short. Ray backed up the play and grabbed the board. The ball was stolen.
On the bench after the steal, Stringer looked at the floor, her hand clasping her forehead.
"Time is running out," Stringer would say later.
So it goes. These are days of exasperation.
Rutgers (12-9, 4-3 Big East) lost against Saturday, thanks to this year’s usual combination of anemic offense and slippery execution. That the Hoyas (18-3, 7-1) are ranked No. 17 in the country did not ease Stringer’s mind. Early-season disappointments have left this team desperate for statement victories. In order to make the NCAA Tournament, the Scarlet Knights must win games like this or Monday’s home contest against No. 3 Notre Dame.
“Unless we are able to get some big-time wins, we are seriously in trouble,” Stringer said. “We’ll just probably be taking an early vacation.”
The Rutgers players were not made available for comment after the game, but there was little to add. The Hoyas out-rebounded their guests by six. The Scarlet Knights committed 24 turnovers. Ray’s shooting touch evaporated – the senior scored just three points on foul shots and missed all 10 of her field-goal attempts.
“I thought our kids really did a good job of locating her early,” Hoyas head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said.
And despite that, Rutgers kept things close for the first 30 minutes thanks to an active defense, 18 points from sophomore Khadijah Rushdan and some instant bench production from freshman Monique Oliver (12 points, five rebounds).
But the Scarlet Knights could not sustain any sort of momentum, and they were broken midway through the second half.
Already trailing by 10 with 10:39 to play, the Scarlet Knights were buried by a flurry from Georgetown freshman Sugar Rodgers, who would finish with 27. The Hoyas broke Stringer’s 55 press and Rodgers broke sophomore Khadijah Rushdan’s ankles at midcourt to cruise for a lay-up.
The teams traded misses before Rodgers shook free for a 3. On the next possession, she hit another triple from basically the same spot.
After Rodgers' second 3, something resembling a smile creased Stringer's face. There was nothing she could do. The lead was 18. It would shrink, but that would not matter. A late-game dose of the 55 harried the Hoyas, but Rutgers could not score enough they grabbed possession.
"This was a key game," Stringer said. "I was encouraged by the 55.
“Disappointed with our lack of composure.”
Andy McCullough may be reached at amccullough@starledger.com.