Toledo Shuts Down Albany in Non-League Action, 53-39

Tuesday, November 22

Toledo, OH

7:00 p.m.

University of Toledo

Albany

Toledo Shuts Down Albany in Non-League Action, 53-39

11/23/2011 2:54:00 AM | Women's Basketball

TOLEDO, OH - Toledo flexed its defensive muscles and claimed a 53-39 win over Albany on Tuesday in Savage Arena. With the non-league victory, the Rockets' extend their home win streak to 20-consecutive contests, tied for the second-longest unbeaten stretch in school history.

UT limited the Great Danes (2-3) to 30.0 percent (15-of-50) shooting from the field and forced 25 turnovers to improve to 2-1 on the season. The 2011 WNIT champions took full advantage of those nearly two dozen miscues and translated them into 20 points to bounce back from last week's loss at nationally ranked Green Bay.

The Midnight Blue & Gold's defense stepped up to the challenge and held Albany's leading scorers, Julie Forster and Ebone Henry, to a combined nine points on 4-of-20 shooting from the floor. The duo entered tonight's game averaging 16.8 ppg and 16.3 ppg, respectively.

Offensively, senior Naama Shafir led the 2010-11 Mid-American Conference regular-season champs with 14 points, three assists and two steals in 33 minutes. Sophomore Andola Dortch chipped in 10 points, four boards and a game-high three thefts, while senior Courtney Ingersoll and junior Yolanda Richardson had eight points each. Toledo also received a good effort from junior Kyle Baumgartner, who finished with six points, five caroms and one blocked shot off the bench.

UT controlled the interior against UA and posted a decisive 30-16 edge in points in the paint. They also took care of the basketball and were guilty of a season-low 13 turnovers. UT came into tonight's contest averaging 25.0 miscues.

The teams traded baskets for the opening eight-plus minutes of the contest, before the Rockets utilized a 13-5 run to take a 22-14 lead with 6:03 remaining in the period.

Five different UT players scored baskets in the burst, including back-to-back baskets from Shafir and a deep triple from Ingersoll, to make it a three-possession game.

Albany pulled within three points late in the half, but Toledo closed with another trey from Ingersoll to take a 27-21 advantage into the intermission.

UT opened the second stanza with the same intensity as it played with in the opening 20 minutes and received layups from Dortch and senior Haylie Linn to increase its cushion to 33-24 at 14:28.

The Great Danes once again clawed their way back into the game behind strong play from Keyana Williams and Cassandra Callaway to make it a one-possession difference, but the Rockets responded with four-consecutive points to reclaim a nine-point bulge, 39-30, at 9:18.

Toledo then put the matchup away with an 8-0 run to extend its lead to double figures, 47-34, with 2:48 remaining. Baumgartner sparked the burst with a field goal and a pair of charity tosses.

The closest UA would come the rest of the non-league contest was 11 points.

Callaway paced the visitors with a game-high 18 points, knocking down 3-of-6 shots from three-point range. Their next highest scorer was Henry with nine points.

The Rockets return to the hardwood on Friday, Nov. 25 when they travel to Bloomington, IN to battle Big Ten member Indiana. The opening tip from Assembly Hall is slated for 7:00 p.m. Last season at home, UT overcame a 13-point halftime deficit and registered a 56-52 victory over IU.