Toledo Tips Off Regular Season at AEC Champion Maine on Saturday

Saturday, November 10

Orono, Maine

1:00 P.M.

University of Toledo

Maine

Senior Kaayla McIntyre had 10 points and 10 caroms against Maine last year at home.

Photo by: Toledo Athletics

Toledo Tips Off Regular Season at AEC Champion Maine on Saturday

11/8/2018 9:31:00 AM | Women's Basketball

WBB Game Notes vs. Maine (PDF)

ORONO, Maine - Toledo will tip off its 45th season of women's basketball on Saturday, Nov. 10 when the Midnight Blue & Gold travels to 2018 America East Conference champion Maine. The opening tip is slated for 1:00 p.m. in the Cross Insurance Center and will be shown on ESPN+.

The Rockets are 23-21 (.523) all-time in season openers, including a 6-4 (.600) mark under head coach Tricia Cullop.

UT, which was picked to finish second in the Mid-American Conference West Division preseason poll, welcomes back nine letterwinners from last year's squad that finished with an 18-15 overall record and made its sixth appearance in the Postseason WNIT in 10 years under coach Cullop. 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.

Leading the way for Toledo this season are its four captains — senior Mikaela Boyd (12.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 4.2 apg), senior Kaayla McIntyre (16.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.4 bpg), senior Sarah St-Fort (2.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg) and sophomore transfer Nakiah Black.

Toledo also returns junior Mariella Santucci (6.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.6 spg), senior Mae Tshitenge (0.7 rpg), junior Sara Rokkanen (4.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg), and sophomores Tanaya Beacham (3.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg), Mariah Copeland (0.4 ppg, 0.3 rpg) and Tatyana Davis (1.2 ppg, 0.7 rpg) to the fold in 2018-19.

UT will begin the regular season on the heels of a thrilling 77-70 overtime victory over Division II foe Findlay on Saturday at home. The Rockets outscored the Oilers 35-18 in the fourth quarter and extra period to post the heart-pounding triumph.

Boyd paced Toledo with 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while McIntyre had 15 points, a game-high 12 boards and a contest-best three rejections.

Also scoring in double digits was Santucci with 13 points, followed closely by Rokkanen and Davis had 12 points each.

Rokkanen knocked down a game-high four three-point field goals, including one with only 3.5 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. The Helsinki, Finland native followed that triple up with another for the first points in the extra period to give the home team a lead they would not relinquish.

Toledo also posted with a commanding 48-36 rebounding edge and had five players with at least six caroms. In addition, UT finished with 20 assists on its 27 field goals made, sparked by a game-high five each from Boyd and Rokkanen.

Maine, which has unanimously been selected first in the America East Preseason Coaches' Poll, returns four of five starters from last year's team which captured both the America East regular season and championship crowns. The Black Bears finished last year 23-10 overall and 13-3 in league play. Maine will welcome back six of its top seven scorers, led by preseason all-conference selections Blanca Millan (17.5 ppg) and Tanesha Sutton (12.1). Amy Vachon is set to begin her second full season at the helm of the program.

Toledo and Maine will meet for the second-straight year and third time overall. A season ago, the Rockets registered a 65-64 overtime victory over the Black Bears before 3,208 fans in Savage Arena. Boyd led UT with 18 points, to go along with nine rebounds, five helpers and a contest-best six steals in 42 minutes, while Julie Brosseau paced the Black Bears with a game-high 26 points.

UT also posted a 61-57 neutral-court victory against UM in the championship game of the 2007 Miami (Fla.) Holiday Classic on Dec. 30 in Coral Gables, Fla.

Toledo is 4-1 (.800) all-time against teams from the America East Conference (1-1 vs. Albany; 2-0 vs. Maine; 1-0 vs. UMBC).

The last AEC member the Rockets played other than Maine was Albany at the 2015 URI Tournament in Kingston, R.I. UT dropped a 63-55 neutral-court decision vs. the Great Danes in the opening round (Nov. 21).

Toledo is also scheduled to host AEC member Stony Brook on Tuesday, Dec. 18 at 7:00 p.m. in Savage Arena.

Following Saturday's season opener, Toledo will host Rocket Women's Basketball's Education Day on Wednesday, Nov. 14 in conjunction with its match-up against Iona. The opening tip against the Gaels is slated for 11:00 a.m. in Savage Arena. A crowd of at least 2,500 students, teachers and season-ticket holders are expected to be in attendance at UT's home opener.