MUNCIE, Ind. – Toledo's gallant fourth-quarter comeback came up just short, as the Rockets dropped a 78-73 decision at Ball State on Saturday in Worthen Arena. With the tough loss, the Rockets fall to 17-11 overall, 8-8 in the Mid-American Conference.

UT trailed BSU 67-54 heading into the final period before ripping off the first 10 points to make it a one-possession affair, 67-64, at the 4:10 mark. Four different Rockets tallied points during the stretch to cause the crowd of 2,822 fans to go silent. It was the closest Toledo had been since the beginning of the second stanza.

Ball State's Jasmin Samz temporarily stopped Toledo's momentum with a layup, but the 2017 MAC Champions countered with a mini 9-4 burst to draw the teams even at 73-73 with 19 seconds left. Junior Mikeala Boyd was credited with five of the nine points to complete the comeback.   

The Midnight Blue & Gold unfortunately were unable to generate any additional points, while BSU's Carmen Grande knocked down 5-of-6 free throws in the waning seconds to account for the game's final tallies. The Rockets misfired on a pair of shots and had a turnover, as they saw their mini two-game winning streak come to an end.

Boyd led UT with a game-high 24 points, a contest-best 12 boards, three helpers and a game-high four steals to post her team-high 10^th double-double on the year.

Senior Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott added 19 points and junior Kaayla McIntyre had 14, as the Rockets' two-game winning streak came to an end.

As a team, the Rockets shot 44.4 percent (28-of-63) from the field, including 29.4 percent (5-of-17) from three-point land, and 52.2 percent (12-of-23) from the charity stripe.

UT also won the battle on the glass, 38-36 and finished with 16 assists, 13 turnovers and 10 steals.

Samz paced the Cardinals (23-4, 12-4 MAC) with 20 points, followed closely by Grande with 17 points and a game-high nine helpers.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Seven different Cardinals scored in the first period to help the home team assume a 24-18 lead after the opening 10 minutes. BSU took advantage of five offensive rebounds in the quarter, translating them into eight second-chance points.

In the second period, Ball State drained its first three treys to extend UT's deficit to 45-33 at the intermission. Four different Cardinals buried a three-point field goal in the opening half to make it 12-point difference at the break.

UT's "Big Three" - Bravo-Harriott, Boyd and McIntyre - accounted for all but four points in the first half, as Bravo-Harriott led the way with 11, followed closely by Boyd and McIntyre with 10 and eight, respectively.

The Rockets pulled within five points, 56-50, at the 3:09 mark of the third quarter on the strength of a trio of layups from Boyd. The Parkside, Ill. native was able to penetrate the BSU defense and converted from close range to make it a two-possession difference.

Unfortunately for UT, Ball State countered with a mini 7-0 burst to push the margin back to double figures, 63-50 with 2:02 remaining in the third stanza.

Toledo notched the first five points in the fourth quarter on a layup by Boyd and a trey from Bravo-Harriott to make the score 67-59, forcing BSU to call a timeout with 8:56 left in the regulation.

The Rockets continued to fight back and completed the comeback, utilizing a 14-6 run over the next eight-plus minutes to set the stage for a dramatic ending.

Toledo had its chances in the waning seconds, but it missed three shots and had one turnover to set the final score at 78-73.  

UP NEXT:
Toledo will travel to Northern Illinois (14-13, 6-10 MAC) on Wednesday, Feb. 28. Game time versus the Huskies is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. (CT) in Convocation Center and will be streamed live on ESPN3.

UT and NIU will do battle for the second time this season and 54th time overall. The Rockets registered a 63-60 home victory vs. NIU on Jan. 13 at home.

Toledo leads the all-time series, 34-19, and has won five of the last contests against its division rival. The Huskies hold a slim 13-11 advantage in games played in the Convocation Center, but the Rockets have won the last two meetings on the road. 

 A season ago, Toledo registered a 79-75 road triumph (March 1).