OXFORD, Ohio – Toledo dropped a 67-58 decision against Miami in Wednesday's Mid-American Conference cross-division finale in Millett Hall. With the loss, the Rockets fall to 15-9 overall, 6-6 in the league.

The RedHawks (15-8, 7-5 MAC) ended the game with a pivotal 12-2 run over the final 2:11 in regulation to snap an 11-game losing skid versus the Midnight Blue & Gold. Four different MU players tallied points in the late burst, including a team-high five from MAC Player of the Year candidate Lauren Dickerson to help the home team claim their fifth-straight victory.

Junior Mikaela Boyd paced the 2017 MAC Champions with 18 points, six boards, five helpers and four thefts to score in double figures for a season-best ninth-consecutive contest.

The Rockets also received double-doubles from junior Kaayla McIntyre (12 pts., 10 reb.) and sophomore Mariella Santucci (11 pts., career-high 10 reb.), as well as seven points from redshirt freshman Tanaya Beacham off the bench in a tightly contested contest that featured six ties and 14 lead changes.

As a team, the Rockets shot 43.9 percent (25-of-57) from the field, including 0-of-8 from three-point land, and 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from the charity stripe. The last time UT did not make a triple occurred against IPFW on Nov. 29, 2008.

Toledo also finished with 17 assists and 14 turnovers, marking the ninth time they totaled more helpers than miscues this season.

Dickerson led Miami with a game-high 22 points, followed by Kendall McCoy and Kayla Brown with 16 and 10, respectively.

The RedHawks benefited from seven-straight points from Brown to take a 13-10 lead after the opening 10 minutes. The 6-foot-2 guard knocked down three field goals in a span of just over one minute to give the home team an early three-point advantage.

UT knotted the score at 18-18 on the strength of three layups from McIntyre at the 6:54 mark in the second quarter, but Miami's Dickerson retaliated by scoring 11 of her team's final 13 points to lift the Red & White to a 33-24 lead at the intermission.

The Rockets came out of the locker room fired up and strung together a 12-4 burst to trim the deficit to one point, 37-36, with 5:08 showing on the clock. Boyd triggered the rally with seven points, converting three baskets from close range, including a traditional three-point play.

Miami momentarily stopped UT's momentum on Dickerson's fourth trey of the contest, but the Rockets responded by rattling off the next five points to reclaim the advantage, 41-40, at the 3:36 mark. McIntyre was credited with three of the five points, while Boyd tallied the other two to give the visitors their first lead since early in the second quarter.
  
The teams then traded the lead over the next couple of minutes, before Toledo put together a 9-2 run to assume a 50-44 advantage with 7:04 left in regulation. Santucci was responsible for five of the points to help UT equal its largest lead of the contest.

Unfortunately for the Rockets, the lead did not last long as Miami tallied eight-straight points to reclaim the lead, 52-50, at the 4:01 mark. Four RedHawks tallied points in the eight-point run to bring the home crowd to its feet.

The squads once again exchanged the lead over the ensuing two-plus minutes, setting the stage for Miami's game-sealing burst. Dickerson started the late rally with her fifth triple, followed by a layup from Leah Purvis. The remainder of the RedHawks' points were scored at the free throw line to give Miami its first victory in 12 contests over 10th-year head coach Tricia Cullop.   

Toledo will remain on the road and travel to MAC West Division front-runner Central Michigan (19-3, 11-0 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 10. Game time versus the Chippewas is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in McGuirk Arena and will be streamed live on ESPN3.

UT and CMU will square off for the first of two match-ups during the regular season and 80th time overall. The Rockets will also host the Chippewas on Saturday, March 3 at 2:00 p.m. in Savage Arena. 

Toledo leads the all-time series, 48-31, and has won five of the last six contests against its division rival. UT holds a slim 19-17 advantage in games played in McGuirk Arena.   

A year ago, Toledo and Central Michigan split their two regular-season meetings with the home team emerging victorious both times. UT claimed a 74-72 victory in the friendly confines of Savage Arena (Jan. 28), before suffering a 72-61 setback in McGuirk Arena (Feb. 18).