TOLEDO, OH - Toledo (12-9, 7-3 MAC) will continue its four-game stretch against Mid-American Conference East Division opponents on Wednesday, Feb. 10 with a match-up vs. Buffalo (11-10, 3-7 MAC). Tip-off time is set for 7:00 p.m. in Savage Arena and can be seen on ESPN3, BCSN and TWCS.
UT is 45-14 (.763) against MAC East Division opponents over the last seven-plus seasons under head coach
Tricia Cullop, including a 6-2 mark (.750) against the Bulls.
Thus far in 2015-16, Toledo has tallied a 4-1 ledger (.800) against cross-division foes.
The Midnight Blue & Gold enter tomorrow's action riding a three-game winning streak following Saturday's 67-64 road victory at Kent State.
Sophomore
Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott and senior
Brenae Harris led the Rockets in scoring against KSU, finishing with 16 and 15 points, respectively.
The backcourt duo combined to score the team's final nine points to propel UT to its eighth-consecutive triumph over the Golden Flashes (4-17, 1-10 MAC).
Toledo shot 36.2 percent (21-of-58) from the field, including 29.6 percent (8-of-27) from three-point land, and an impressive 85.0 percent (17-of-20) from the free throw line.
With Toledo trailing 59-58 at the 2:34 mark in the fourth quarter, Bravo-Harriott knocked down a jumper from the wing to give the visitors a lead they would not relinquish.
Following a KSU turnover, Harris drained a jump shot from the elbow to make the score 62-59 with 1:05 left in regulation.
The Golden Flashes misfired on their next possession and were forced to foul with only 40 seconds showing on the clock. Harris calmly knocked down both free throws to make it a two-possession game.
Kent State responded with a field goal from Paige Salisbury, but Bravo-Harriott countered by splitting two charity tosses to set the difference at 65-61 with 24 seconds left.
The home team made a final push and received a traditional three-point play from Lurken with 14 ticks remaining.
KSU was once again forced to foul, and Harris sank both free throws to make it a three-point contest, 67-64, with 10 seconds remaining.
The Golden Flashes had a good look in the waning seconds to force overtime, but Tyra James' three-point field goal attempt was off the mark as the final horn sounded.
The Rockets are fueled offensively by the quartet of Harris, junior
Janice Monakana, senior
Ana Capotosto and Bravo-Harriott, who are averaging 14.6, 10.9, 10.4 and 9.8 ppg, respectively.
UT, which sports a 6-2 record at home this season, will take on a Buffalo team which has lost six of its last seven contests. Most recently, UB dropped a 59-57 decision vs. Ball State on Saturday. Joanna Smith led the Bulls with a game-high 21 points against the Cardinals.
Buffalo, which is 6-6 away from home this season, features two players scoring in double figures paced by MAC Player of the Year candidate Smith at 18.6 ppg.
UT and UB will meet for the only time during the 2016 MAC campaign and the 23rd time overall.
The Rockets lead the all-time series, 18-4, but have dropped two of the last three games against their MAC cross-division foe.
A season ago, the teams split two regular-season meetings with the home squad protecting its home court. UT secured a 75-63 overtime victory in Savage Arena (Jan. 21), before UB responded with a 68-61 triumph in Alumni Arena (Feb. 4).
Toledo also holds a perfect 9-0 edge in played games in Savage Arena, with seven victories by at least double digits.
Following Wednesday's contest, the Rockets will host reigning MAC regular-season and tournament champion Ohio (18-4, 10-1 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 13. The opening tip versus the Bobcats is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Savage Arena and can be seen on ESPN3.
UT will also hold its eighth-annual "Rockets For the Cure" day in conjunction with Saturday's contest against the Bobcats. The MAC cross-division match-up will help benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure of Northwest Ohio and the Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center. The Rockets encourage everyone in attendance to wear pink in support of cancer research.
