Big Ten Player Spotlight: Stasha Carey, Rutgers
By Jared Hines
An emerging star in Piscataway.
After a ten game winning streak–including wins vs. Maryland and Michigan St. — the Rutgers Scarlet Knights are finally earning the respect they deserve in the polls with a No. 20 ranking on the AP poll released on Jan. 21.
A team that hasn’t lost since Nov. 28 to Virginia Tech, Rutgers has shown they can win in close games as well as taken advantage early and control games throughout. Last week, thanks to redshirt senior Stasha Carey, the team’s win streak went from eight to ten with wins over the Boilermakers and the No. 17 ranked Spartans.
The Scarlet Knights hosted both games last week, welcoming Purdue on Jan. 17 in a game that ended up being one of the Big Ten’s games of the week. After taking a two-point lead into halftime, the two teams went into overtime with Rutgers scoring 11 overtime points to the Boilermakers nine. Three Rutgers players scored in double figures including Carey who had 11 points to go with nine rebounds, three blocks and two assists. Carey played a season-high 37 minutes in the win, knowing the team would need her presence again four days later.
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Carey didn’t disappoint.
Rutgers defeated Michigan St. 76-62 on Jan. 20 in a day that saw all Big Ten teams in action. The day at the RAC belonged to Carey who scored a career-high 30 points, adding six rebounds, two blocks and one steal in 34 minutes. Carey took 15 shots, making 12 of them and went six-for-eight from the free throw line. The huge game rose Carey’s points per game average from 10.2 to 11.3, the highest mark she has had since the season opener.
“Well, I wasn’t rebounding so I needed to do something,” Carey said with a laugh after the win when asked about her career night.
Thanks to Carey, Arella Guirantes, and the rest of the Scarlet Knights’ roster, the team is currently 15-3 overall and 7-0 in Big Ten conference play, their best team mark since starting 7-0 in the 2007-2008 season when Rutgers was part of the Big East Conference. Another ranked opponent awaits the team on Jan. 23 when Rutgers travels to No. 22 Iowa to take on Megan Gustafson and the Hawkeyes. Iowa is currently 5-2 in the conference and 14-4 overall.