TOLEDO, OH - Toledo (8-2) will wrap up its non-conference slate when it hosts Horizon League foe Detroit Mercy (4-6) on Wednesday, Dec. 21. Tip-off time is set for 7:00 p.m. in Savage Arena and will be streamed live on ESPN3.
The Rockets have begun the season winning eight of their opening 10 games for the first time since 2012-13. UT has started a season with at least an 8-2 record on nine occasions in school history.
With a victory against UDM on Wednesday, UT would record its ninth non-conference win, tied for third most in school annals in a single season before league play starts. The program record is 12 victories prior to the start of Mid-American Conference play in 2012-13, followed by 10 wins in 2009-10 and nine in 1989-90, respectively.
Toledo, which was No. 21 in last week's collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, is coming off an 85-68 setback against No. 2 Notre Dame on Sunday before 5,697 fans at home, the sixth-largest crowd in school history.
Junior
Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott paced UT with a season-high 23 points against the Fighting Irish, sophomore
Kaayla McIntyre contributed a season-best 13 points with a squad-high six caroms off the bench and classmate
Olivia Cunningham scored 10 points also as a reserve.
The Rockets shot a respectable 44.1 percent (26-of-59) from the field, including 40.0 percent (8-of-20) from three-point land, but were snakebit by a season-high 28 turnovers. The Fighting Irish, the highest ranked opponent to ever visit Savage Arena, took full advantage of those miscues and translated them into 26 points. Notre Dame also recorded 16 thefts and posted an 8-0 edge in fast-break points to snap UT's four-game winning streak.
Toledo, which is 4-1 at home, is fueled offensively by the trio of Bravo-Harriott, sophomore
Mikaela Boyd and senior
Janice Monakana, who are averaging 14.4, 10.9 and 10.0 ppg, respectively.
The Titans enter Wednesday's non-conference match-up fully rested, as they have not played since dropping a 75-65 home decision to MAC-member Western Michigan on Saturday, Dec. 10. Brianne Cohen paced UDM with 17 points vs. the Broncos, followed closely by Rosanna Reynolds and Nicole Urbanick with 16 and 15, respectively.
Detroit Mercy features an offense with three players averaging at least 10.0 points per game led by Reynolds' 17.3 ppg, 5.2 apg and 2.2 spg, followed by Cohen's 13.5 ppg.
The Titans, who are 3-4 away from home, are led by second-year head coach Bernard Scott, who also roamed the Rockets' sidelines from 2001-05. During Scott's four years at UT, he was part of the coaching staff that led the Rockets to the 2003 MAC regular-season title and a berth in the Postseason WNIT.
UT and UDM will meet for the fourth time in the last six years and 27th time in the overall series. The Rockets lead the all-time series, 17-9, but most recently dropped an 83-72 home decision in the second round of the 2014 Glass City Classic to snap a four-game winning streak in the series.
The Rockets also hold a 10-3 edge in games at home versus the Titans and have won three of the last four match-ups in the Glass City.
Toledo is 2-0 versus Horizon League foes this year, claiming a 92-59 triumph at Cleveland State on Nov. 19 and a 79-51 home victory against UIC on Dec. 1.
Following tomorrow's contest, Toledo will open Mid-American Conference play against West Division rival Ball State (6-4) on Saturday, Dec. 31. The opening tip versus the Cardinals is slated for Noon in Savage Arena and will be streamed live on ESPN3.
UT and BSU have been pegged to finish tied for second in the MAC West Division, according to a preseason vote of the league's 12 head coaches.
The Rockets have dropped the last five match-ups against their division rival but still holds a 52-23 advantage in the all-time series, including a 27-8 edge in home games.
