TOLEDO, OH – Toledo secured a hard-fought 73-67 victory over Kent State on Wednesday in Mid-American Conference action before 3,613 fans in Savage Arena. With the win, UT improves to 6-7 overall, 1-1 in the league.
 
Senior Brenae Harris paced three Rockets in double figures with a game-high 18 points, to go along with a contest-best nine assists and six rebounds against the scrappy Golden Flashes (3-9, 0-2 MAC). Harris was a perfect 10-of-10 at the charity stripe in a game-tying best 37 minutes to help head coach Tricia Cullop move into a tie for second place in school history with 166 victories with Bill Fennelly.

Junior Janice Monakana added 12 points and a season-tying best 10 boards to post her first double-double of the season and fourth in her collegiate career, while junior Sophie Reecher also chipped in 12 points in a winning effort.
 
The Rockets utilized a balanced attack in tonight's MAC cross-division match-up and also received eight points from senior Ana Capotosto, seven by sophomore Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott and a season-high six from freshman Kaayla McIntyre to surpass the 70-point plateau for the fifth time this year.
 
As a team, UT shot a respectable 45.1 percent (23-of-51) from the field, including 35.3 percent (6-of-17) from three-point land, and 63.6 percent (21-of-33) from the charity stripe to notch its seventh straight victory over KSU.
 
Larissa Lurken led Kent State with 13 points, followed by Jordan Korinek with 11 and Tyra James had 10. 
 
The teams traded baskets at the outset, before the Golden Flashes took advantage of a mini 8-2 run to create a 17-12 lead with 56 seconds remaining in the opening period. KSU's Korinek started and capped the burst with a pair of layups to give the visitors an early five-point advantage.
 
The Rockets turned up the intensity at the start of the second period and opened with a 9-0 run to take a 24-19 lead, forcing KSU into a timeout at the 7:27 mark. UT benefitted from a traditional three-point play from Reecher and treys by freshman Halee Printz and Capotosto to assume a lead it would not relinquish.
 
Toledo continued to play well for the remainder of the half and outscored its opponent 11-5 over the final four minutes to build a 45-35 cushion at the intermission.
 
The Rockets doubled up the Golden Flashes, 28-14, in the second stanza to give them a 10-point bulge at the break. UT shot an efficient 50.0 percent (14-of-28) from the floor in the opening stanza, compared to 38.9 percent (14-of-36) for KSU.

UT's Reecher stepped up her play in the third quarter, converting three field goals from close range to extend the margin to 56-46 after 30 minutes of competition. The two-time team captain was a force on the inside and made a trio of layups to make a four-possession difference. 
 
Toledo then looked to have the game well in hand in the opening moments of the final period on the heels of a 10-4 run to open up a game-high 15 point lead, 66-51, with 4:51 left in regulation. Four different Rockets contributed points in the rally to build what looked to be a comfortable lead.
 
KSU had other thoughts, though, and ripped off 11 of the last 12 points to close within 67-62 with still 2:27 showing on the clock. Four different players scored during this stretch of two-plus minutes to make it a two-possession affair.
 
UT seemed to calm the storm after Harris made a layup on its ensuing possession, but Kent State made one final push in the waning seconds and trimmed the margin to only four points.
 
Fortunately for the Rockets, they surrendered only four points over the course of the final minute and Harris knocked down all four of her free throws to close out the hard-fought home victory.
 
UT will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 9 when it hosts MAC West Division foe Western Michigan (9-5, 1-1 MAC). The opening tip versus the Broncos is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Savage Arena and can be seen on ESPN3.
 
A year ago, Toledo swept the regular-season series for the fifth time in the last seven years, claiming a 65-46 road victory (Jan. 17) and a 67-57 home triumph (Feb. 25).