Rutgers women’s basketball fans got their first look at the team‘s talented pair of freshmen in Sunday’s 101-48 exhibition win over Caldwell University at Jersey Mike’s Arena.
Freshman Kiyomi McMiller, a five-star recruit ranked No. 22 in her recruiting class by espnW, finished with 21 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals in her debut.
Fellow freshman Zachara Perkins, the daughter of former WNBA star and New Jersey native DeMya Walker-Wheatfall, recorded 17 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
“[The freshmen] showed up. I think what we saw today is what we‘ve been seeing in practice,” Rutgers coach Coquese Washington said. “They have a high energy level. They are playing at a fast pace. They have a lot of passion and connection with each other, so I think we saw out there today what we’ve been seeing in practice. I think they are only going to get better with more experience.”
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In just nine minutes played in the first half, McMiller recorded 11 points and two steals.
On one possession, she dribbled between the legs before taking a step back at the top of the arc for a fade away 3-pointer. On another, she crashed the boards and scored on a reverse putback.
In the second half, she hit a floater up the middle of the lane and then pulled up for a long-range 3 on Rutgers next trip down court.
The Maryland native spent the last two seasons of her high school career at Life Center Academy in Burlington, N.J. She averaged 30.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, four assists and 2.8 steals as a senior.
Perkins also had some impressive plays on offense and smothered Caldwell on defense. She averaged 18.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.1 blocks at Summer Creek High School in Houston, Texas through her junior season.
“This is the first we‘ve played against somebody else besides our practice team. They showed well of themselves in terms of what we want to work on and what we’ve been practicing,” Washington said.
New Jersey native Destiny Adams led Rutgers with a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds. She also had five steals. Newcomer JoJo Lacey, a Boston College transfer, finished with 13 points.
The Scarlet Knights open regular season play against Manhattan on Monday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. — the first of four consecutive home games at Jersey Mike’s Arena.
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Joey Chandler may be reached at jchandler@njadvancemedia.com
