PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a dominant opening quarter and a persistent, grinding response, the Rutgers women’s basketball team overcame a frigid start to defeat Lafayette 54-45 on Saturday at Louis Brown Athletic Center.

The Scarlet Knights, improving to 8-4, were carried by a combined 41 points from forwards Faith Blackstone and Nene Ndiaye, who powered a comeback after the team managed just four points in the first quarter. The Leopards fell to 4-7 despite a strong early lead and a game-high 18 points from guard Teresa Kiewiet.

The most important part of the game was unquestionably the stark contrast between the first and second quarters, which set the trajectory for the remainder of the contest. Lafayette executed a near-flawless opening frame, jumping to an 11-4 lead. The Leopards opened the scoring with a Haylie Adamski 3-pointer and stifled the Rutgers offense, which missed 15 of its first 16 field goal attempts and committed five turnovers. The Scarlet Knights did not record a field goal until Kaylah Ivey’s layup with four seconds remaining in the period.

That dynamic flipped completely in the second quarter. Rutgers erupted for 18 points, spearheaded by Blackstone, a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, native who scored nine in the period. The Scarlet Knights’ defense intensified, forcing eight Lafayette turnovers in the quarter and converting them into easy transition opportunities. A 14-2 run over a five-minute span turned a 13-9 deficit into a 23-15 lead, a margin Rutgers would not relinquish. The quarter encapsulated the game’s decisive factors: Rutgers’ overwhelming advantage in points off turnovers, which finished at 22-10, and its ability to generate second chances via 24 offensive rebounds.

Lafayette’s early offensive rhythm vanished against Rutgers’ heightened pressure. The Leopards scored only nine points in the second quarter and seven in the third, shooting just 17 for 50 from the floor for the game. While Kiewiet and guard Sauda Ntaconayigize of Quebec City, Canada, who added 14 points, provided sparks, the team’s 19 turnovers and a mere six assists proved insurmountable against a Big Ten opponent.

Rutgers, despite shooting only 20 for 74 from the field, leveraged its significant physical advantages. The Scarlet Knights outscored Lafayette 28-12 in the paint and outrebounded them 57-35. Blackstone finished with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Ndiaye, from Saly, Senegal, added 19 points and 11 rebounds. Center Imani Lester of Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed eight points and 10 rebounds.

The Leopards showed resilience in the fourth quarter, mounting a 12-4 run to cut a 15-point deficit to 46-43 with just over four minutes to play, fueled by Kiewiet and Ntaconayigize. However, Blackstone answered with a critical 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, and Rutgers closed the game on an 8-2 run to secure the victory.

The win extends Rutgers’ non-conference home success as it prepares to open Big Ten play on the road at Michigan State on Dec. 28. Lafayette, which has lost four of its last five, will break for the holidays before resuming its season at Colgate on Dec. 31 to begin Patriot League competition.

The announced attendance was 1,761.