Sports Shorts

The Rutgers women's basketball team won its fifth straight game in convincing fashion, claiming a 61-29 victory over Lafayette on Friday Dec. 19 at the Louis Brown Athletic Center.

Junior Epiphanny Prince led the Scarlet Knights with 23 points, her eighth double-figure performance of the year. The third-year player added a team-best five steals. With her 10-for-19 shooting effort, Prince matched the total number of made field goals by the entire Lafayette team (10-of-39).

Senior Kia Vaughn moved into fifth place in the RU record book for career rebounds after pulling down nine rebounds against Lafayette.

Senior center Kia Vaughn scored 13 points and posted a team-high nine boards and three blocks. Vaughn either scored or had a hand in each of the first four RU field goals of the game, finishing the half with 10 points.

Every player on the RU roster recorded at least one rebound in the game as the squad had a 45-24 rebounding edge. Redshirt freshman Khadijah Rushdan collected a career-best seven boards.

The Scarlet Knights (7-2), which won their 19th consecutive contest at home, held an opponent under 30 points for the first time since 2000. That RU squad, featuring a senior guard named Tasha Pointer, beat Vermont by a 54-29 score. Pointer, the all-time leader in steals and assists, is in her secondyear as an assistant coach for head coach C. Vivian Stringer.

Leading by one at the 14:27 mark, the Scarlet Knights went on a 13-1 run to take a 20-7 lead. Prince tallied seven of the 20 for RU, including capping the drive with a three-pointer from the right wing with 7:37 left in the half.

The Leopards used a 7-0 run in the last two and a half minutes of the half to close to 26-17 at the break. It would be as close as the visitors would come.

RU opened the second half with an 18-5 surge to pull ahead, 44-22 with 11:17 remaining. Senior Heather Zurich contributed five points, all consecutively, during the Scarlet Knights' drive. Junior Brittany Ray and Prince had four points each in the same span as the junior tandem closed the run with a host of jumpers. The RU defense held Lafayette to just one field goal over the nine-minute period as the Scarlet Knights cruised from there en route to the 32-point victory.

Rutgers returned to game action on Monday night against George Washington University. The team's next opponent is perenial powerhouse Tennessee on Saturday, led legendary coach Pat Summitt. Game time is set for 2 p.m.