Toledo Ices Penguins in Non-Conference Action, 73-50
12/6/2003 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
TOLEDO, OH - Toledo Head Coach Mark Ehlen had good reason to smile Saturday night. His Rockets had just played one of their best games of the season.
Senior Kelly Walker led three players in double figures with a game-high 23 points, and Toledo put the game away early in beating Youngstown State, 73-50, before 2,490 fans in Savage Hall.
The Rockets shot 40 percent (24-of-60) from the field, dished out 17 assists and connected on a season-best 86.4 percent (19-of-22) from the free throw line, as they impoved to 3-2 on the season.
"This is a good win for us as we continue to get better," Ehlen said. "Youngstown State is a physical team. Our rebounding was good and we took good care of the basketball. They put on a press towards the end and that put us into a scramble state. I am not, though, going to let that diminish what we did. We put up a 30-plus point lead and played good basketball."
Freshman Danielle Bishop also tallied a career-high 17 points, five rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals for the Midnight Blue and Gold, while junior Karin Hoogendam added 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
For the second-straight game, Toledo led from the opening tip to the final whistle. Both teams, though, had their problems finding the range in the opening stages of the game, but the Rockets set the tone at the foul line. UT converted its first eight attempts at the charity stripe and nine of its first 10. Toledo had entered the game last in the Mid-American Conference converting only 62.8 percent of its free throw attempts.
With Toledo holding a slim 13-9 advantage with 11:20 remaining in the first half, the Rockets would go on a 25-9 run to end the half and take a 38-19 edge into the intermission. In the first half, Toledo converted 12-of-15 (80.0 percent) free throw attempts, while the Penguins were only 3-of-4 (75.0 percent).
Toledo opened the second half with a 16-0 run to put the game out of reach and record back-to-back victories for the first time this season.
Jen Perugini led the Penguins with 11 points and eight rebounds. She was the only YSU player in double figures. Youngstown State was limited to 25.4 percent shooting (16-of-63) from the field, including 18.9 percent (7-of-37) in the first half.
UT held YSU to just eight assists and outrebounded the Penguins, 50-38.
All 11 Toledo players saw action in the game for the first time this season with nine players getting their names in the scoring column.
Toledo will return to the road on Tuesday, Dec. 9 as the Rockets travel to the Old Dominion State to battle Hampton. Tip-off is slated for 6:00 p.m. in the Convocation Center.
