TOLEDO, OH – Toledo lost to Ball State, 51-45, in Saturday's Mid-American Conference opener before 3,509 fans in Savage Arena. With the setback, the Rockets fall to 9-3 overall, 0-1 in the league.

UT was limited to a season-low 24.6 percent (16-of-65) from the floor, including 16.7 percent (4-of-24) from three-point range, and 42.9 percent (9-of-21) from the charity stripe to suffer its sixth-straight loss to the Cardinals (8-5, 1-0 MAC).

Junior Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott paced the Midnight Blue & Gold with eight points, followed by senior Janice Monakana and junior Jada Woody with six each. 

Toledo came into today's MAC opener ranked second in the league in scoring offense (77.3 ppg) and three-point field-goal percentage (36.7 percent), as well as third in overall field-goal percentage (44.0 percent). 

To make matters worse, Monakana suffered a lower leg injury with 2:16 remaining in the third quarter and did not return to the court. 
 
Renee Bennett paced BSU with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Moriah Monaco posted a double-double with 13 points and a game-high 12 caroms. The Cardinals' frontcourt duo helped them finish with a commanding 51-35 edge on the boards.

The Rockets had trouble all afternoon getting shots to fall and trailed 13-10 after the first period. UT was held to only four baskets and guilty of five turnovers in the opening 10 minutes, resulting in its lowest scoring quarter of the season. Their previous-low output was 11 points on three occasions. 

Toledo then picked up the pace to start the second period and went on an 11-2 run to take a 21-15 lead at the 2:09 mark. The Rockets did all of the damage on their interior, receiving layups from four different players to give them their first lead of the contest.  
   
Unfortunately for the home team, they went scoreless for the remainder of the quarter and allowed BSU to knot the score at 21-21 at the intermission.

The Cardinals registered eight of the first 10 points after the break to retake the advantage, 29-23, at 7:01. BSU's Bennett scored the visitor's first points on a layup, before Monaco drained back-to-back triples to force UT to call a timeout.

UT settled down following the stoppage in play and rattled off the next eight points to assume a 31-29 lead with 2:54 left in the period. Bravo-Harriott started and capped the run with free throws, sandwiched in between a layup by Woody and a trey from Monakana to stop BSU's momentum. 

For the second-straight game, the Rockets benefitted from strong reserve minutes from freshman Sara Rokkanen to help them secure a 40-36 advantage with 8:36 left in regulation. Rokkanen converted a layup late in the third period and then drilled a three-point field goal early in the fourth to make a two-possession game.  

As was the case in the first half, UT's offense then went dry and allowed BSU to go on a game-clinching 8-0 burst to give them a 44-40 lead at the 5:47 mark. The rally was sparked by a trey and a layup from Destiny Washington to put them in front for good.

UT pulled within two points on four occasions over the final four minutes, but it could not get over the hump, as it dropped its fifth conference-opening match-up over the last six seasons. 

Toledo mustered only five points after Rokkanen's three-point field goal, shooting 2-of-13 from the field, including 0-of-7 from beyond the arc, and 1-of-6 from the free throw line over the final eight-plus minutes. 
 
The Rockets will look to bounce back on Wednesday, Jan. 4 when they travel to MAC West Division foe Eastern Michigan. The opening tip versus the Eagles is slated for 7:00 p.m. in the Convocation Center and will be streamed live on ESPN3.