Piscataway, N.J. – The Saint Francis women's basketball team (0-1) fell to Big Ten opponent Rutgers on Tuesday, 96-52, in the season-opener at the Rutgers Athletic Center. Senior Jess Kovatch (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) led the way for the Red Flash with 12 points, while newcomer Aunesha Williams (Miami, FL/McEachern High School (Morgan State via Gardner-Webb)) added 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor.

Haigh's Reaction
"We didn't move the ball the way we have practiced," Head Coach Joe Haigh said. "We missed a ton of shots. Trying to gel together is going to take a while. Early in the season, you tend to foul more. We made a lot of fouls out on the perimeter. We are still looking at combinations that are going to play together and play effectively on the floor."

First Quarter Recap

• Kovatch converted on a four-point play with just under five minutes left to cut Rutgers' lead to 10-8
• The Scarlet Knights then went on a 10-0 run to take a 20-8 lead before a Williams layup made the score 20-10 at the end of the first frame

Second Quarter Recap

• Karson Swogger (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis), who had a solid night with seven points and four rebounds, connected on a three-pointer to narrow Rutgers' margin to 29-15
• Rutgers pounded the ball in the paint and used a 13-1 run to seize a 42-16 lead
• Sam Sabino (Rumson, N.J./Rumson Fair Haven (New Hampshire)), who had a well-rounded evening with seven points, six rebounds and two assists, knocked down a trifecta as the Scarlet Knights led 47-21
• Swogger's trey with two seconds to go made the halftime score 50-24

Third Quarter Recap

• Rutgers took advantage of second chance opportunities as the Scarlet Knights extended their lead to 59-29 with just under five minutes remaining
• The hosts led 74-41 at the end of the third frame

Fourth Quarter Recap

• Saint Francis got some quality playing time from its bench as all 14 active players logged minutes
• The Red Flash were unable to overcome hot shooting from Rutgers down the stretch as the Scarlet Knights pulled away for the win

Notes

• Kovatch moved into a tie with Alli Williams for second place all-time in scoring at Saint Francis with 2,170 career points
• The Red Flash scored the same amount of points (52) in the opening game of the season as they did in last season's finale against UCONN

Looking Ahead
The Red Flash continue the difficult road swing on Thursday at fourth-ranked Baylor. Tip time from the Ferrell Center is set for 8 p.m. ET.