PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined by offensive inefficiency, the Rutgers women’s basketball team grinded out a 59-49 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson on Sunday at the Louis Brown Athletic Center.

The Scarlet Knights improved to 4-1 on the young season, while the Knights fell to 2-3.

Neither team shot the ball effectively, with Rutgers connecting on 19 of 52 field goal attempts and Fairleigh Dickinson making just 18 of 55. The difference came at the free-throw line, where the Scarlet Knights capitalized, making 16 of 21 attempts compared to the Knights’ 6 of 9.

Rutgers was led by a dominant performance from forward Zachara Perkins. The 6-foot-3 sophomore from Houston, Texas, fell just shy of a double-double, scoring 17 points and grabbing nine rebounds in 34 minutes of action. She also added a block and was instrumental in securing the win with two clutch free throws in the final seconds.

Fairleigh Dickinson guard Ava Renninger was the game’s high scorer, pouring in 20 points over a full 40 minutes. The Yardley, Pennsylvania, native also contributed three rebounds and three assists, but her efforts were not enough to overcome her team’s overall shooting woes.

The Knights’ Kailee McDonald, a 5-foot-9 guard from Lowell, Massachusetts, recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds and five assists to go with six points.

Rutgers established control in the paint, outscoring Fairleigh Dickinson 24-14, and also converted Knights turnovers more effectively, holding a 14-8 advantage in points off turnovers. The Scarlet Knights’ interior presence was bolstered by Imani Lester, a 6-foot-4 freshman from Raleigh, North Carolina, who scored 13 points and collected six rebounds. Forward Antonia Bates hauled in 10 rebounds for Rutgers.

The game was a sloppy affair, with the two teams combining for 31 turnovers. Both squads also struggled to generate assists, finishing with just five apiece.

Rutgers will look to build on its winning record when it travels to face Auburn on Thursday. Fairleigh Dickinson returns to action on Wednesday to host Delaware State.