TOLEDO, Ohio – Toledo fought and clawed its way to a 65-64 overtime victory against Maine (4-3) on Thursday before 3,208 fans in Savage Arena. UT outscored the Black Bears 11-10 in the extra period to extend its winning streak to four-consecutive games and improved to 5-1 on the season.

Junior Mikaela Boyd paced three Rockets in double figures with a season-high 18 points, to go along with nine rebounds, five helpers and a contest-best six steals in a collegiate-high 42 minutes. Senior Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott added 15 points and junior Kaayla McIntyre had 10 points and a team-best 10 caroms to post her second double-double of the season.

Julie Brosseau led America East Conference member Maine with a game-high 26 points, followed by Blanca Millan and Tanesha Sutton with 16 and 12, respectively.

The teams traded points for the first three-plus minutes of the extra period, before the Rockets secured the lead for good, 65-62, on a deep three-point field goal by sophomore Sara Rokkanen from the wing with 49 seconds left. 

Maine wasted no time to counter and cut the deficit to a single point on its ensuing possession as Millan sank two free throws.

UT ran down the shot clock on its next offensive trip and misfired on its shot. Sophomore Mariella Santucci snuck in between a couple Black Bears, though, and stole their outlet pass and was immediately fouled with three seconds remaining. The 2016-17 Mid-American Conference All-Freshman Team selection missed both charity tosses to keep it a one-point difference, but Parise Rossignol's desperation shot from midcourt sailed high off the backboard as the final horn sounded to close out Toledo's 10th-consecutive home triumph.    

The Black Bears came out with their guns blazing and held a 28-13 lead at the end of the first quarter. The visitors knocked down 13 of their first 20 field-goal attempts to race out to a double-digit advantage. Brosseau did a bulk of the damage at the outset, scoring 14 points while playing every minute in the period.

The Rockets clawed their way back into tonight's game by outscoring the opposition 13-7 in the second period to make it a nine-point difference, 35-26, at the intermission. Boyd accounted for five of UT's 13 points to pull the home team within three possessions at the break.

Toledo also tightened up its defense in the second period, limiting Maine to just 33.3 percent (4-of-12) from the field, forcing six turnovers, and drawing a pair of charges to give the home crowd something to cheer about. 

Boyd continued to be a one-person wrecking crew in the second half, tallying seven of her squad's next 12 points to shrink the margin to 42-38 with 9:48 left in regulation. The Hillside, Ill. native converted two layups and split six free-throw attempts to pull the 2017 MAC Champions within four points.

Unfortunately for the Rockets, Maine's Millan and Brosseau knocked down back-to-back triples to once again make it a double-digit affair, 52-42, with 4:44 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Toledo made one final push and outscored the Black Bears, 12-2, over the final four-plus minutes to force overtime. Four different Rockets accounted for points in the game-changing rally.

McIntyre and Boyd started the burst with consecutive baskets, followed by a trey from Bravo-Harriott to make the score 53-49 at the 1:20 mark. Santucci then made a layup and McIntyre split two free throws to pull the Rockets within a single point, 53-52, with 9.9 seconds remaining. 

Out of timeouts, the Rockets immediately fouled Brosseau, who converted one of two charity tosses with a little over seven seconds left to make the score 54-52. 

UT's Boyd raced the ball up the floor and went straight to the basket, finishing the play with a layup to force extra basketball. 

The Rockets return to the hardwood on Monday, Dec. 4 when they travel to Atlantic-10 member St. Bonaventure (4-4). Tip-off against the Bonnies is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in the Reilly Center.

UT and SBU will square off for the sixth-straight year. The Rockets lead the all-time series, 4-1, most recently claiming a 74-50 triumph in Savage Arena on Dec. 11, 2016. Two years ago in St. Bonaventure, the Bonnies registered a 74-63 triumph (Nov. 29, 2015).

 
Highlights from UT's thrilling overtime victory against Maine.


Head Coach Tricia Cullop post-game.