Rutgers Womens Basketball to play exhibition to Benefit Bahamas Hurricane Relief – On The Banks

The Rutgers womens basketball will travel to the Rose Hill Gym in the Bronx this weekend to play Fordham in an exhibition game to benefit hurricane relief in the Bahamas. The game is this Saturday at 1 p.m. and you can contact the Fordham ticket office here. All proceeds will provide direct support to Bahamas Red Cross as that country recovers from Hurricane Dorian and you can also donate directly on this link.

The two programs were scheduled to play a closed scrimmage on this date, but they were able to reschedule as an exhibition due to it benefiting charity per NCAA rules. From the press release:

This transcends basketball, said head coach C. Vivian Stringer. We have a great opportunity to come together and do something meaningful. Our players are in a wonderful position to give back to our community whenever they can, and now, to help a community in need miles from our home. We appreciate this chance to use basketball in the spirit of coming together as one and making a difference in the world.

Rutgers is scheduled to play in Bimini, Bahamas for the Junkanoo Jam during Thanksgiving weekend with a field including Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, and Seton Hall.

In addition, Stringer announced several staff changes this week. Tim Eatman, who did a great job last season filling in for Stringer during her medical leave, has been promoted to associate head coach. Michelle Edwards, who was Big Ten Player of the Year at Iowa playing for Stringer, has been on her staff in various capacities the past 16 years. She returns to the bench as an assistant coach, joining Eatman and Nadine Diamond, who returns for her fourth season in that role.

Other staffing moves include Betsy Yonkman becoming Director of Program Administration, Operations and Scouting, Brian Shank as Director of Video/Assistant Director of Basketball Operations, Will Abrams promoted to Director of Player Development, and Geoffrey Lanier joins the staff as Recruiting Coordinator.

The Scarlet Knights were not chosen this week as one of the top five teams in the Big Ten preseason polls conducted by the coaches and media. There is no preseason poll listing all fourteen teams in the conference. RU finished in third place last season, the best finish for the program since joining the conference five years ago. While leading scorer and rebounder Stasha Carey has graduated, as well as Charise Wilson and Victoria Harris, second leading scorer Arella Guirantes returns. Also returning are Tekia Mack, Noga Peleg Pelc, Zippy Broughton and back from missing all of last season due to injury, KK Sanders. In addition, Baylor transfer and former McDonalds All-American Alexis Morris, St. Bonaventure transfer Danielle Migliore, 5-star forward Maori Davenport and 3-star forward Joiya Maddox are on this seasons roster. Morris will be eligible to play in the second semester beginning on January 5th at Purdue due to transferring mid-season last year.

Rutgers will have an opportunity to prove the doubters wrong and begin their quest for a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance with the season opener on the road against South Alabama on November 5th. We will have a full season preview coming soon.

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Rutgers Womens Basketball to play exhibition to Benefit Bahamas Hurricane Relief - On The Banks