University of Toledo
OHIO
Toledo Holds Off Ohio and Claims 53-52 Victory
2/8/2007 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Final Stats
TOLEDO, OH - Toledo (8-14, 4-6 MAC) overcame a 10-point second-half deficit and defeated Ohio, 53-52, on Thursday evening in Savage Hall. The Rockets hit four of six three-point field goals in the final 20 minutes and outscored the Bobcats 7-2 at the charity stripe to snap a three-game losing skid.
It wasn't a pretty game, but it's a win," Toledo Head Coach Mark Ehlen said. "And that's all I care about right now."
Senior Danielle Bishop and junior Olivia Terry led the Rockets with 13 points apiece and classmate Ta'Yani Clark added 11. Senior Savannah Werner pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, while sophomore Diana Reindl, freshman Allie Clifton and Terry each had four caroms.
Ohio (12-10, 5-5 MAC) scored the first five points of the contest and held Toledo off the scoreboard for the first four minutes. The Rockets did not take care of the basketball and turned it over four times before junior Tamesha Scotton hit a jumper at 16:12.
"We came out flat," Ehlen said. "We were as flat as could be, but (junior) Olivia Terry did a good job off the bench and gave us the spark we needed. Players finally woke up in the second half and started to play good."
Once on the scoreboard, Toledo rallied back with an 11-2 run to take an 11-7 lead. In the first 15 minutes of the game, Terry went 4-of-5 from the field and scored eight and the scored was tied at 16-16.
"We wouldn't have been in this game if it wasn't for Olivia," Ehlen said. "She had a great game for us, especially in the first half."
The two teams traded leads for the remainder of the half and the visitors led 26-24. The Bobcats held the two-point halftime cushion, despite shooting only 32.3 percent (10-of-31) from the field with nine turnovers.
Ohio started the second half with an 11-3 run to push its advantage to a game-high 10 points, 37-27, and forced UT into calling a timeout. Toledo's Clark singlehandedly put the home team back in the contest over the next three minutes, scoring six of its nine points to close the margin to 37-36 with 14:48 remaining in regulation.
Following a Bobcats' timeout, the visitors regained their composure and pushed its advantage back to six points on two occasions, including 48-42 with 6:28 left.
Not to disappoint the 1,401 fans in attendance, UT quickly fired back with a game-clinching 10-0 run to seal the victory. Bishop did a majority of the damage in the run tallying seven of the 10 points. Werner also dialed long distance with a triple to put the home team ahead for good, 52-48, with 3:16 left.
The Bobcats would not go quietly, though, and a basket by Lauren Kohn, who finished with a game-high 17 points, kept them within striking distance.
For the next two minutes, neither team could score. Werner finally broke spell splitting a pair of free throws to make the score 53-50 with 1:17 remaining. Ohio's Kohn would not be denied down the stretch and converted a pair of free throws at 0:49 to again make it a one-point contest.
Following Kohn's free throws, the Rockets milked the clock, before missing a shot with 0:17 remaining. Ohio pulled down the rebound and quickly called a timeout. Off the stoppage of play, the Bobcats tried to run a play for Kohn, but she was stripped by Clark, who was quickly fouled with 0:03 left. Unfortunately for the Rockets, Clark misfired on both attempts, but Ohio's Quintana Ward desperation attempt at the buzzer fell short.
"We found a lot of energy in the second half and pulled off a win," Bishop said. "A lot us came out strong in the second half and that helps. When we come together and play as a team, we can win pretty good."
The Rockets will return to action on Sunday, Feb. 11, when they travel to Akron, OH to take on the Zips. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. in James A. Rhodes Arena.
