University of Toledo
Wright State
Toledo Too Much for Wright State, 69-66
12/10/2005 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
TOLEDO, OH - Toledo erased a seven-point halftime deficit and defeated Wright State, 69-66, in non-conference action today at Savage Hall. The Rockets outscored the Raiders, 38-28, in the second half after trailing by as many as nine points in the opening 20 minutes and improved to 4-2 on the season.
Redshirt freshman Diana Reindl sparked the Rockets' rally with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench. Reindl, who sat out last season after suffering a season-ending knee injury (torn ACL) during preseason, was averaging just 1.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in a team-low 7.8 minutes per game entering today's action.
"Coach Ehlen told me the team needed a spark off the bench, and I did what I could do get a win for the team," said Reindl, who finished 5-of-10 from the field. "It's easier when you make your first couple of shots, you get more relaxed and don't worry as much about missing."
Juniors Danielle Bishop and Savannah Werner also hit double figures for Toledo with 16 and 14 points.
Wright State (3-4) also placed three players in double figures as Tyanda Hammock and Ana Marisa Perez tied with a team-high 17 points. Rhea Mays added 15 for the Raiders.
The Rockets finished the contest shooting only 38.8 percent (26-of-67) from the field, while the Raiders connected on 49.1 percent (27-of-55). But it was UT's ability to get to the free-throw line and convert that helped the Midnight Blue and Gold post its third straight win over the Raiders. The Rockets were 14-of-19 (73.7 percent) from the charity stripe, including an impressive 9-of-10 free throws in the final 20 minutes, compared to WSU's 5-of-8 (62.5 percent) showing.
The two teams battled back-and-forth the first 10 minutes of the contest and the score was tied at 12-12. WSU's Perez then hit back-to-back triples to give the visitors an 18-12 cushion with 9:58 left. Mays also dialed long distance for the Raiders as they pushed their lead to a game-high nine points at 23-14. The Rockets fought back behind eight points from Riendl and cut the lead to two points on two occasions, but Mays' 11-first half points were too much as UT trailed, 38-31, at the intermission.
Toledo received four quick points from sophomore Aaron Richmond to open the second half and get the home team back in the contest. Unfortunately, Mays and Perez took over and scored the Raiders' next nine points and rebuilt their cushion to 47-39 with 14:17 left.
With their backs to the wall, the Rockets went on a key 7-0 run, including a three-point field goal by sophomore Kristi Zeller to cut the deficit to 47-46 with 12:05 remaining. The final 12-plus minutes neither team held more than a three-point advantage.
UT continued to fight back and took its first lead, 50-49, since midway through the first half on a steal and layup by sophomore Jasmine House with 9:21 left. Another basket by House quickly followed to put UT ahead by three, 52-49, but WSU came roaring back and reclaimed the lead, 55-52, following a triple by Brittney Whiteside.
Over the course of the next three minutes the score would be tied three times, before a three-point play by Werner put UT ahead, 62-59, with 4:26 left. Back came the Raiders, though, as they scored four straight points and reclaimed the lead. Nip and tuck down the stretch these two teams would go as they traded baskets, before Perez's fifth triple of the contest gave WSU a 66-64 lead with 2:59 left.
On Toledo's ensuing possession, Werner was fouled and hit both free throws to knot the score at 66-66. Wright State misfired on its next trip down the floor and gave the ball back to the Rockets. UT went inside to Werner, who again drew the foul and went to the line. The Angola, IN native split the pair with 1:44 left and gave the home team a lead it would not relinquish.
After a WSU turnover and missed shots by both teams, the dramatic finish was set. Werner coralled an offensive rebound and called a timeout with 16 seconds left as she was trapped in the corner. Off the timeout, Reindl missed a jumper, but Bishop ran down another offensive board with 4.7 seconds left and was quickly fouled. WSU called its final timeout to attempt to freeze the Laingsburg, MI native. Bishop was not fazed and knocked down both shots to seal the three-point victory. Mays and the Raiders had one final chance, as she took the ball the length of the floor and launched a three-pointer but it bounced off the back of the rim as the buzzer sounded.
The Rockets also won today's game because they dominated the boards, 43-30, including a 19-6 edge on the offensive glass. This was the fourth-consecutive game UT grabbed more boards than its opponent.
"This isn't the first close game we've won this year," Toledo Head Coach Mark Ehlen said. "I liked the fact that we're winning close games, something we didn't do last season. We didn't play especially well but we worked hard on the boards and got a `W'. Our defense down the stretch was huge, we stopped them just enough and Bishop and Reindl were outstanding."
UT will now take the next week off to focus on final exams before returning to action at Savage Hall on Saturday, Dec. 17 against Oakland. The contest is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. and will be the first game of a doubleheader. The Rocket men will face St. Bonaventure in the second game beginning at 7:30 p.m.
