TOLEDO, OH - As the Toledo women's basketball team went to its locker room at halftime on Wednesday, the team and the 2,047 fans at Savage Hall were in shock.
The Rockets trailed MAC West Division leader Ball State by 13 at the intermission, 39-26. The Cardinals seemed to have all the momentum, as they shot 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes. To make matter worse, the Rockets backcourt was held scoreless and the team had already committed 13 turnovers.
For the seventh consecutive game though, the Rockets dominated the oppostion in the second half, outscoring the Cardinals, 56-36, en route to an 82-75 victory.
"I thought Ball State came out in the first half and really took it to us," said Toledo Head Coach Mark Ehlen, who improved to 78-18 all-time in the Mid-American Conference. "I think we were lucky to only be down 13 at halftime. We had them down 17 at their place at the half and they made a run at us, so we knew it was possible for us. I am really proud of how this team never gives up."
With the win Toledo improves to 16-5 (9-1 MAC) and takes over possession of first place in the MAC West Division, while Ball State falls to 17-5 (9-2 MAC).
After playing through the first 20 minutes as if they were sleepwalking, the Rockets stormed out of the locker room at halftime and calmly erased a 13-point halftime deficit by going on a 26-11 run during the first 11 minutes of the second half. UT took the lead for the first time when Melantha Herron converted a three-point play to give the Rockets a 52-50 edge with 9:27 remaining.
UT never relinquished the lead.
The Rockets, who have won seven straight and nine of the last 10, shot a sizzling 59.1 percent (13-of-22) from the floor in the second half and hit an even more impressive 28-of-32 (87.5 percent) from the charity stripe. Senior Kahli Carter made 14-of-15 foul shots, including 12-of-13 after halftime when the Rockets made it a priority to attack the basket. Junior center Melantha Herron, who did not go to the foul line in the first half, made seven of nine foul shots in the final 20 minutes. In the first half, the home team attempted only four free throws.
Toledo is outscoring the opposition in the second half during its win streak by nearly 15 points. The Midnight Blue and Gold are averaging 43.4 points after the intermission, while only surrendering 28.9.
Carter led the way, scoring a game-high 24 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, 18 of those points and six rebounds came in the final 20 minutes. The double-double is her seventh on the season and ninth in her career.
"It feels great to beat Ball State twice in eight days," Carter said with a grin. "They aren't really one of our rivals, but I love to play them. I love the competition. It feels unbelievable to beat them on their home court and then come back and beat them here."
Herron continued her strong play in the second half of the season scoring 21 points with eight caroms. The Norwood, CO native is averaging 14.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and a team-high 1.1 blocks, while shooting 61.7 percent (37-of-60) from the field and 81.2 percent (26-of-32) from the free throw line during the Rockets' last seven games.
Junior guard Courtney Risinger, who was held scoreless in the first half, tallied all 14 of her points after halftime, including a three-point basket in the opening moments of the second half to start UT's scoring blitz and sophomore forward Tia Davis chipped in with 11 to round out the UT players in double figures.
"Courtney (Risinger) came out in the second half and really played how we know and expect her to play and hit a couple of nice jumpers for us," Ehlen said. "Kahli (Carter) struggled in the first half and she came out playing like she normally does. Those are the two people we have been counting on all year long."
The Rockets also received a quality performance from Kelly Walker. The freshman, despite playing only nine minutes, scored four points and dished out two clutch assists down the stretch, helping to seal the victory for UT.
"When I got into the game, I just focused on what I had to do and take what the defense gave me," Walker said. "I was able to penetrate the zone which forced their defense to collapse. I was able to get the ball to our open post players, and they take advantage of the open looks."
Ball State's Jessica Reiter paced four Cardinals in double figures, as she finished with 18 points. Sophomore sensation Shala Crook scored 17 points, while the MAC's leading scorer Tamara Bowie was held to 11, nine below her season average. BSU was dealt a major blow when she fouled out with 6:34 remaining in the second half. Bowie was one of three Cardinals to foul out in the contest. Johna Goff was the other BSU player in double figures, as she finished with 17 points.
"We were not into the first couple of minutes in the second half," Crook said. "We were not attacking like we normally do and we became tentative. It was a tough game, but we're a better team after it."
Toledo will now travel to Kalamazoo, MI to battle the Western Michigan Broncos (6-14, 3-6 MAC) on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 10. Originally slated for a 2:00 p.m. start, the contest will tip off at noon and will be televised on FoxSports Ohio.
