VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) -- The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are peaking at the perfect time.

Shawnetta Stewart scored 19 points as Rutgers (No. 11 ESPN/USA Today, No. 8 Associated Press) beat Villanova 76-60 Tuesday night to secure a first-round bye in the Big East tournament. Rutgers shot 66 percent from the field and had five players score in double figures.

"We haven't had balance like that all year," Rutgers coach Vivian Stringer said. "And we definitely haven't had shooting like that this season. We've never shot as well."

Stewart, from nearby Philadelphia, had 13 points in the second half to help the Scarlet Knights (20-6, 12-4 Big East) clinch the third seed in the tournament that begins Saturday in Storrs, Conn.

Karlita Washington added 16 points, Tammy Sutton-Brown and Tasha Pointer each had 12, and Linda Miles added 11 for Rutgers, which avenged a one-point home loss to Villanova last month.

Jen Skeeters had 17 points and Trish Juhline and Nicole Drunkenmiller each had 11 for Villanova (14-13, 7-9), which has lost five straight.

Holding a 47-45 lead with 12:02 to go, the Scarlet Knights used a 10-3 run to make it 57-48 lead with 9:01 left. The lead reached 15 in the final minute when Pointer completed a four-point play.

Villanova, the sixth seed in the tournament, will open against Providence on Saturday, with the winner facing Rutgers on Sunday.

"It doesn't matter because we're just going to go play," Villanova coach Harry Perretta said. "Anybody we play in the first round is going to be a top-10 team."