Toledo Closes Out Non-League Slate vs. Detroit Mercy on Friday

Friday, December 21

Toledo, Ohio

7:00 P.M.

University of Toledo

Detroit Mercy

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Senior Mae Tshitenge and the Rockets host Detroit Mercy on Friday at 7:00 p.m. in Savage Arena.

Photo by: Will Edmonds

Toledo Closes Out Non-League Slate vs. Detroit Mercy on Friday

12/20/2018 9:16:00 AM | Women's Basketball

WBB Game Notes vs. UDM (PDF)

TOLEDO, Ohio -Toledo (7-3) will wrap up its non-conference slate against Horizon League member Detroit Mercy (2-8) on Friday, Dec. 21 at home. The opening tip is slated for 7:00 p.m. in Savage Arena and will be shown on ESPN+. UT is 3-1 at home this season and 127-37 under 11th-year head coach Tricia Cullop.

The Rockets are coming off an impressive 80-48 victory against red-hot Stony Brook on Tuesday at home. Toledo outscored the Seawolves by a whopping 30 points, 51-21, over the final 20 minutes to snap SBU's 10-game winning streak.

UT held a slim 29-27 advantage at intermission vs. Stony Brook before going on a pivotal 17-0 run to take control of the non-conference matchup in the third quarter. They also strung together a 22-7 burst at the outset of the fourth period to hand SBU its first loss since Nov. 9.

Senior Kaayla McIntyre led the Midnight Blue & Gold with a game-high 23 points and a season-best eight rebounds, while sophomore Nakiah Black had a season-high 18 points in her first collegiate start.

UT also received nine points from sophomore Tatyana Davis and seven by sophomore Tanaya Beacham to successfully bounce back from a 72-56 setback against defending national champion Notre Dame at home on Dec. 8.

As a team, the Rockets shot a season-high 57.9 percent (33-of-57) from the field, including 50.0 percent (3-of-6) from three-point land. They also won the battle on the glass, 32-25.

Stony Brook came into the game averaging 69.5 ppg and outrebounding its opposition by 6.1 rpg (38.9-32.8).

Toledo continues to be fueled offensively by the trio of McIntyre, junior Mariella Santucci and senior Mikaela Boyd, who are contributing 15.4, 10.7 and 9.4 ppg, respectively.

UT will battle a Detroit Mercy squad that is riding a four-game losing skid, most recently suffering a 79-73 road setback against Mid-American Conference member Bowling Green on Monday. Lexey Tobel paced the Titans with 19 points vs. the Falcons, followed closely by Zoey Oatis and Jiera Shears with 17 and 16 points, respectively.

UDM possesses an offense with two players scoring in double figures, led by Tobel's 12.5 ppg.

The Titans, who are coached by former Rocket assistant coach Bernard Scott, are 1-5 away from home this season. Scott roamed the Rockets' sidelines from 2001-05 and was part of the coaching staff that led UT to the 2003 MAC regular-season title and a berth in the Postseason WNIT.

UT and UDM will square off for the sixth time in the last seven years and 29th time overall. The Rockets hold a 19-9 advantage in the all-time series and have won six of the last seven meetings, including an 81-64 road triumph on Dec. 21, 2017.

Toledo also maintains an 11-3 edge in games played in the "Glass City," most recently securing a 72-66 home win on Dec. 21, 2016.

The Rockets are 68-44 (.607) all-time against Horizon League schools (18-9 vs. Cleveland State; 19-9 vs. Detroit Mercy; 1-3 vs. Green Bay; 3-2 vs Milwaukee; 3-7 vs. Oakland; 7-1 vs. UIC; 0-1 vs. Valparaiso; 7-3 vs. Wright State; 10-9 vs. Youngstown State), including 20-8 (.714) under head coach Tricia Cullop.

UT is in the midst of a 10-game winning streak against Horizon League teams dating back to the 2014-15 campaign. The last Horizon League squad to defeat Toledo is Detroit Mercy, 83-72, in the second round of the 2014 Glass City Classic in Savage Arena (Dec. 14).

Earlier this year, the Rockets claimed a 65-60 road triumph at Cleveland State on Dec. 5 in the Wolstein Center.

Following tomorrow's game, the Rockets will host NCAA Division II foe Tiffin (2-8) in an exhibition contest on Sunday, Dec. 30 in Savage Arena. The exhibition match-up is slated for 2:00 p.m. and admission is free.