Senior Kaayla McIntyre was named to the Preseason All-MAC West Division squad.
Photo by: Toledo Athletics
Toledo Picked to Finish Second in MAC’s West Division
10/31/2018 9:47:00 AM | Women's Basketball
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Mid-American Conference announced its Women's Basketball Preseason Poll on Wednesday with Toledo being picked to finish second in the West Division. The poll results were determined by the league's 12 head coaches and SIDs.
Additionally, senior Kaayla McIntyre was selected to the Preseason All-MAC West Division squad.
Joining McIntyre on the West Division squad were Central Michigan's Presley Hudson and Reyna Frost, Eastern Michigan's Danielle Minnot and Northern Illinois' Courtney Woods.
The Rockets received 52 points and trailed only defending MAC champion Central Michigan in the West Division standings with 72 points. The Chippewas received all 12 first-place tallies in the division. Eastern Michigan (41 pts.) was tabbed third in the MAC West, followed by Northern Illinois (38), Ball State (34) and Western Michigan (15) to round out the division.
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Buffalo (62 pts., four first-place votes) was picked to successfully defend its East Division title, followed by Miami (61, five first-place votes), Ohio (57, three first-place votes), Kent State (28), Bowling Green (27) and Akron (17).
The East Division squad is comprised of UB's Cierra Dillard and Summer Hemphill, Miami's Lauren Dickerson and Kendall McCoy and Ohio's Cierra (CeCe) Hooks.
Three different squads also received votes to capture the MAC Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, led by the Chippewas with eight votes. The Bulls also collected three votes and the Huskies had one. The winner of the MAC tourney receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.
McIntyre, a 6-foot-2 center, contributed a team-best 16.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, a team-high 1.4 blocks and 0.8 steals in 31.7 minutes per contest in 2017-18. She led the MAC in overall field-goal percentage (.632, 215-of-340, seventh in NCAA), as well as ranking fifth in rejections, sixth in defensive caroms (6.0 rpg), eighth in overall rebounding and 11th in scoring.
The 2017-18 third-team All-MAC honoree concluded the year fourth in UT history in overall field-goal percentage, fifth in blocked shots (46) and sixth in overall field-goals made (215) in the single-season record book.
One of three Rockets to start every game last season, McIntyre scored in double figures on a squad-best 31 occasions, including a  career-high 30 points against Buffalo (Feb. 3).Â
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In MAC contests, McIntyre tallied a team-high 17.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.4 apg, a squad-best 1.2 bpg and 0.8 spg in 33.0 mpg. She finished first in overall field-goal percentage (.624, 126-of-202) for a third-consecutive year, as well as standing eighth in scoring.
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A candidate for MAC Player of the Year, McIntyre enters her final season first in school history in career overall field-goal percentage (.624, 443-of-710), fourth in rejections (103) and 26th in scoring (1,039).Â
McIntyre is one of nine returning letterwinners for Toledo from last year's squad that posted an 18-15 overall record and advanced to the second round of the Postseason WNIT. As far as numbers go, the Rockets welcome back 66.7 percent of their scoring, 69.3 percent of their rebounding, 76.0 percent of their assists, 78.2 percent of their blocks and 83.5 percent of their steals.
Other key returnees for the Midnight Blue & Gold in 2018-19 include two-time All-MAC honoree senior Mikaela Boyd (12.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 4.2 apg), 2016-17 All-MAC Freshman recipient junior Mariella Santucci (6.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.6 spg), senior Sarah St-Fort (2.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg), junior Sara Rokkanen (4.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg) and sophomore Tanaya Beacham (3.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg).
Toledo opens its exhibition season on Saturday, Nov. 3 against NCAA Division II member Findlay at Noon in Savage Arena. UT's regular season commences seven days later on Saturday, Nov. 10 at Maine at 1:00 p.m.
For season-ticket information, please stop by the UT Athletic Ticket Office in the Sullivan Athletic Complex at Savage Arena, go online at utrockets.com or call (419) 530-GOLD (4653).
2018-19 MAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
East Division Predicted Order of Finish
1. Buffalo (4 first place votes) – 62 points
2. Miami (5) - 61
3. Ohio (3) – 57Â
4. Kent State – 28Â
5. Bowling Green – 27Â
6. Akron – 17
West Division Predicted Order of Finish
1. Central Michigan (12 first place votes) – 72 points
2. TOLEDO - 52
3. Eastern Michigan - 41
4. Northern Illinois - 38
5. Ball State - 34
6. Western Michigan - 15
2019 MAC Tournament Predicted Champion: Central Michigan (8), Buffalo (3), Northern Illinois (1)
Preseason All-MAC East Division Team
Cierra Dillard, Buffalo, Senior, Guard
Summer Hemphill, Buffalo, Junior, Forward
Lauren Dickerson, Miami, Junior, Guard
Kendall McCoy, Miami, Senior, Guard/ForwardÂ
Cierra (CeCe) Hooks, Ohio, Sophomore, Guard
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Preseason All-MAC West Division Team
Reyna Frost, Central Michigan, Senior, Forward
Presley Hudson, Central Michigan, Senior, Guard
Danielle Minnot, Eastern Michigan, R-Senior, GuardÂ
Courtney Woods, Northern Illinois, Senior, Guard/Forward
KAAYLA McINTYRE, TOLEDO, SENIOR, CENTER
Additionally, senior Kaayla McIntyre was selected to the Preseason All-MAC West Division squad.
Joining McIntyre on the West Division squad were Central Michigan's Presley Hudson and Reyna Frost, Eastern Michigan's Danielle Minnot and Northern Illinois' Courtney Woods.
The Rockets received 52 points and trailed only defending MAC champion Central Michigan in the West Division standings with 72 points. The Chippewas received all 12 first-place tallies in the division. Eastern Michigan (41 pts.) was tabbed third in the MAC West, followed by Northern Illinois (38), Ball State (34) and Western Michigan (15) to round out the division.
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Buffalo (62 pts., four first-place votes) was picked to successfully defend its East Division title, followed by Miami (61, five first-place votes), Ohio (57, three first-place votes), Kent State (28), Bowling Green (27) and Akron (17).
The East Division squad is comprised of UB's Cierra Dillard and Summer Hemphill, Miami's Lauren Dickerson and Kendall McCoy and Ohio's Cierra (CeCe) Hooks.
Three different squads also received votes to capture the MAC Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, led by the Chippewas with eight votes. The Bulls also collected three votes and the Huskies had one. The winner of the MAC tourney receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.
McIntyre, a 6-foot-2 center, contributed a team-best 16.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, a team-high 1.4 blocks and 0.8 steals in 31.7 minutes per contest in 2017-18. She led the MAC in overall field-goal percentage (.632, 215-of-340, seventh in NCAA), as well as ranking fifth in rejections, sixth in defensive caroms (6.0 rpg), eighth in overall rebounding and 11th in scoring.
The 2017-18 third-team All-MAC honoree concluded the year fourth in UT history in overall field-goal percentage, fifth in blocked shots (46) and sixth in overall field-goals made (215) in the single-season record book.
One of three Rockets to start every game last season, McIntyre scored in double figures on a squad-best 31 occasions, including a  career-high 30 points against Buffalo (Feb. 3).Â
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In MAC contests, McIntyre tallied a team-high 17.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.4 apg, a squad-best 1.2 bpg and 0.8 spg in 33.0 mpg. She finished first in overall field-goal percentage (.624, 126-of-202) for a third-consecutive year, as well as standing eighth in scoring.
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A candidate for MAC Player of the Year, McIntyre enters her final season first in school history in career overall field-goal percentage (.624, 443-of-710), fourth in rejections (103) and 26th in scoring (1,039).Â
McIntyre is one of nine returning letterwinners for Toledo from last year's squad that posted an 18-15 overall record and advanced to the second round of the Postseason WNIT. As far as numbers go, the Rockets welcome back 66.7 percent of their scoring, 69.3 percent of their rebounding, 76.0 percent of their assists, 78.2 percent of their blocks and 83.5 percent of their steals.
Other key returnees for the Midnight Blue & Gold in 2018-19 include two-time All-MAC honoree senior Mikaela Boyd (12.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 4.2 apg), 2016-17 All-MAC Freshman recipient junior Mariella Santucci (6.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.6 spg), senior Sarah St-Fort (2.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg), junior Sara Rokkanen (4.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg) and sophomore Tanaya Beacham (3.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg).
Toledo opens its exhibition season on Saturday, Nov. 3 against NCAA Division II member Findlay at Noon in Savage Arena. UT's regular season commences seven days later on Saturday, Nov. 10 at Maine at 1:00 p.m.
For season-ticket information, please stop by the UT Athletic Ticket Office in the Sullivan Athletic Complex at Savage Arena, go online at utrockets.com or call (419) 530-GOLD (4653).
2018-19 MAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
East Division Predicted Order of Finish
1. Buffalo (4 first place votes) – 62 points
2. Miami (5) - 61
3. Ohio (3) – 57Â
4. Kent State – 28Â
5. Bowling Green – 27Â
6. Akron – 17
West Division Predicted Order of Finish
1. Central Michigan (12 first place votes) – 72 points
2. TOLEDO - 52
3. Eastern Michigan - 41
4. Northern Illinois - 38
5. Ball State - 34
6. Western Michigan - 15
2019 MAC Tournament Predicted Champion: Central Michigan (8), Buffalo (3), Northern Illinois (1)
Preseason All-MAC East Division Team
Cierra Dillard, Buffalo, Senior, Guard
Summer Hemphill, Buffalo, Junior, Forward
Lauren Dickerson, Miami, Junior, Guard
Kendall McCoy, Miami, Senior, Guard/ForwardÂ
Cierra (CeCe) Hooks, Ohio, Sophomore, Guard
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Preseason All-MAC West Division Team
Reyna Frost, Central Michigan, Senior, Forward
Presley Hudson, Central Michigan, Senior, Guard
Danielle Minnot, Eastern Michigan, R-Senior, GuardÂ
Courtney Woods, Northern Illinois, Senior, Guard/Forward
KAAYLA McINTYRE, TOLEDO, SENIOR, CENTER
Players Mentioned
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