University of Toledo
Kent State
Toledo Falls at Kent State in MAC Action, 69-56
1/17/2004 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
KENT, OH - Toledo saw its three-game win streak come to an end on Saturday afternoon, suffering a 69-56 setback at Kent State in Mid-American Conference action before 2,085 fans in the M.A.C. Center.
With the loss, the Rockets fall to 7-8 overall and 3-1 in the MAC, while the victory improves the Golden Flashes to 9-5, 2-1 in the league.
Sophomore Leah Gonnella led Toledo with a career-high 16 points and four assists off the bench. The only other Rocket in double figures was senior Julie Hillis, who finished with 10 points, six rebounds and three steals. Freshman Danielle Bishop pulled down a career-high 10 caroms and senior Mary Blessing dished out a team-high five assists.
The Rockets' leading scorer, senior Kelly Walker who came into today's action averaging 11.9 points per game, was held scoreless and limited to only nine minutes because of reoccurring back problems.
UT shot 32.8 percent (22-of-67) from the field, including 25.8 percent (8-of-31) from three-point range. The Midnight Blue and Gold dished out 19 assists, while committing 16 turnovers.
"Give Kent State's defense a lot of credit for today's win," Toledo Head Coach Mark Ehlen said. "They played a good, aggressive zone defense, which gave us a lot of problems. We attacked the zone a little better in the second half, but we were too tentative in the first half."
The story of today's game, though, was the performance of KSU's Heather Harris. The junior from Philo, OH drained a career-best six three-pointers, including four in the first half, en route to scoring a game-high 22 points. Malika Willoughby added 13 points and 10 assists to help KSU end a four-game losing streak to the Rockets. Andrea Csaszar was the only other KSU player in double figures finishing with 11 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.
"Heather (Harris) played a great game and Willougby really hit some big shots off the dribble at key times," Ehlen said. "Everytime we needed a stop it seemed like one of those two would hit a shot."
Kent State shot 44.3 percent (27-of-61) from the field, including a blazing 57.1 percent (8-of-14) from three-point land. The Golden Flashes won the battle of the boards, 42-37.
Kent State led from the opening tip to the final whistle jumping out to an early 8-2 lead. A steal and layup by KSU's Willoughby increased the home team's lead to 15-9.
Three-consecutive triples followed, including two by Harris to give KSU a 24-9 lead with 8:54 remaining and forced UT into a timeout. Toledo's Hillis knocked down a jumper on the baseline to end the KSU run and make the score 24-11.
Harris continued to pour it on with another three-pointer, her fourth of the first half with the shot clock running down, to push its lead to 30-16.
A three-point field goal by Blessing with 11 seconds left made the score 34-22 at the half.
Harris opened the second half with her fifth three-pointer, before a 5-0 run by Toledo cut the lead to 39-29. A traditional three-point play by Gonnella sparked the run.
Blessing knocked down a three-pointer to cut the lead to seven, but KSU quickly retaliated with a three-point play by its leading scorer Lindsay Shearer top put the lead back to double digits at 42-32.
Gonnella converted a trey to make the score 46-40 with 9:44 remaining and forced KSU into a timeout. It was the closest UT has been since it trailed 15-9 mid-way through the first half.
Another triple for the Rockets, this time by Bishop made it a one-possession game at 46-43.
KSU would have an answer to UT's run reeling off four straight points to keep its lead at seven. A baseline jumper by Hillis and a coast-to-coast layup by sophomore Crystal Young again cut the lead to three points, 52-49 with 5:36 remaining.
After a KSU basket, Gonnella dialed long distance once again to cut the lead to two points, 54-52, but a three-pointer in the corner by Harris, followed immediately by a steal and layup by Willoughby put the final dagger in the Rockets and made the score, 59-52.
From there, Kent State's Melissa DeGrate would take over scoring seven of the Golden Flashes' final 10 points to seal up the victory.
"I thought we competed better as a team in the second half," Ehlen said. "I was glad to see us knock down some shots in the final 20 minutes and make it an interesting game. It seemed as if every time we made it interesting, we would turn the ball over which would lead to a lay-up or they would hit a shot."
Toledo will return to action on Wed., Jan. 21 when the Rockets will face arch-rival Bowling Green at home. Game time is slated for 7:00 p.m. in Savage Hall.
