Toledo Rolls Past Central Michigan, 73-62

Saturday, February 24

Toledo, OH

2:00 PM

University of Toledo

CENTRAL MICHIGAN

2/24/2007 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Final Stats

TOLEDO, OH - Toledo tied its season-high with nine three-point field goals and claimed a 73-62 victory over Central Michigan before 1,752 fans at Savage Hall. The Rockets shot 40.9 percent (9-of-22) from beyond the arc and swept the season-series against the Chippewas for the second time in the last three seasons.

Today's victory snapped UT's four-game losing skid and improved its mark to 9-18 overall and 5-10 in the Mid-American Conference.

"It wasn't always pretty, but it's a win," Toledo Head Coach Mark Ehlen said. "We approached this game as a new season. We don't want to wait until the MAC Tournament. We wanted to start a new season today."

Senior Danielle Bishop led three UT players in double figures with a game-high 21 points and five assists. Bishop, who hit five of nine shots from three-point land, moved past Lucretia LeGault with today's effort and into 10th place on the Rockets' all-time scoring list with 1,416 career points.

Freshman Allie Clifton continued her solid all-around play and tallied her first collegiate double-double with a career-high 19 points and game-high 12 rebounds. Clifton also tied her career-high with two triples in 36 minutes of action.

"Allie played amazing," senior Savannah Werner said. "She did not look like a freshman out there today. She stepped up and played very well at both ends of the floor. She is definitely coming into her own."

Werner rounded out Toledo's double-figure scorers with 14 points and nine caroms.

The Rockets, who led wire-to-wire, started strong and scored 11 of the game's first 13 points. UT received field goals from four of its five starters to jump out to the quick nine-point lead.

UT continued to shoot the basketball well as the first half wore on and a triple from Bishop made the score 18-6 with 11:18 left. The home team knocked down eight of its 17 shots (47.1 percent) from the field and secured an astounding 17 of the first 18 rebounds.

The Chippewas (11-17, 3-12 MAC) then started to catch fire behind strong play from Sharonda Hurd to cut their deficit to 23-17 at 6:42.

Just when it looked like the visitors were back in the contest, the Rockets responded with a mini 5-0 run to again establish a double-digit cushion, 28-17, with 5:11 remaining.

Toledo's advantage would not fall under nine points the rest of the half and the Midnight Blue and Gold led 34-19 at the intermission. UT shot 46.7 percent (14-of-30) in the stanza, while CMU was limited to 28.6 percent (8-of-28).

The Rockets dialed long distance five more times in the first five-plus minutes of the second half, including three by Bishop, to extend their lead to a game-high 20 points, 51-31.

With the game comfortably in hand, UT's offense sputtered over the next eight minutes, as Central Michigan utilized a 13-3 run to close the gap to 54-44 with 7:16 left.

The Chippewas stayed on the attack and a pair of free throws by Latisha Luckett made the score 55-49 with 5:35 remaining.

Needing a basket to end CMU's rally, the Rockets dialed long distance again and triples from Clifton and Werner pushed their lead back to double-digits, 63-51, with 3:57 left.

"We made some big shots down the stretch," Ehlen said. "Allie's and Savannah's three-pointers were huge because we went a long time without scoring."

The home team then wrapped up the victory, hitting six of eight free-throw attempts in the final 3:30 of the contest.

UT finished the game shooting 45.5 percent (25-of-55) from the field and held a commanding 41-31 edge on the boards.

Candice Wilson led CMU with 13 points, Luckett scored 11 and Britni Houghton and Ann Skufca had 10.

The Rockets return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 28 against Western Michigan. Tipoff from Savage Hall is slated for 7:00 p.m. Prior to Wednesday's contest, UT's two seniors - Danielle Bishop and Savannah Werner - will be honored.