LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Toledo women's basketball put forth a gallant effort vs. Troy on Thursday at the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in South Point Arena. Unfortunately for the Rockets, they came out on the wrong end of a 71-64 neutral-court decision. With the tough loss, the Rockets fall to 3-6 on the season.

"I love the fight in our team," Head Coach Tricia Cullop said. "We fought hard until the end. We are very close, but we need to focus a little more on the details. We fought back a couple of times today and pulled with four or six points, but we just couldn't get over the hump."

Toledo fought and clawed its way back from 15 points down in the third period and was within three late in regulation, but it just could not get any closer against the Sun Belt Conference member Trojans (8-2).

Toledo did not help its own cause in today's non-league matchup, committing 22 turnovers. Troy took full advantage of the Rockets' miscues and translated them into 30 points.

Junior Nakiah Black paced the Rockets with 12 points, a career-high 12 rebounds and four assists to post her first-collegiate double-double. Black's previous-best effort was nine caroms at Notre Dame on Nov. 20, 2019.

Freshman Quinesha Lockett shared top-scoring honors with Black, tallying 12 points off the bench, all in the second half.

The Rockets also received eight points each from junior Tanaya Beacham and classmate Tatyana Davis, followed closely by senior Mariella Santucci with seven.

As a team, Toledo shot 28.8 percent (17-of-59) from the floor, including 25.7 percent (9-of-35) from beyond the arc, and 70.0 percent (season-high 21-of-season-high 30) from the free throw line.

Kayla Robinson led Troy with a game-high 21 points, while Jasmine Robinson had 18.

The Trojans' play on the glass was also key in the game, as they had 21 offensive boards and scored 19 points off those second-chance opportunities. 

FIRST QUARTER
• Troy closed the opening period with an 11-4 run to take a 19-10 lead. Kayla Robinson sparked the late rally with seven points to give the designated visiting team a three-possession advantage after 10 minutes.  

SECOND QUARTER
• The Trojans extended their advantage to a game-high 17 points on occasions before the intermission, the last one coming at the 4:25 mark, 31-14. Alexus Dye helped lengthen TU's margin on the heels of six-straight points in a span of less than two minutes.

• The Rockets fought back late though, tallying five-consecutive points to trim the deficit to 12 at the break, 39-27. Black accounted for the first points on a pair of charity tosses, while freshman Soleil Barnes was responsible for the other three on her seventh triple of the year.

• Black paced Toledo with nine points in the opening 20 minutes, while Jasmine Robinson led Troy with a game-high 11.

• The Trojans forced 13 Rocket turnovers in the first half, resulting in 20 points.   

THIRD QUARTER
• The Rockets started the second half energized, registering eight points at the free throw line to pull within seven, 51-44, heading into the final stanza. The Midnight Blue & Gold drew eight Troy fouls and shot 8-of-10 from the stripe in the quarter to give itself a chance.

• Lockett and sophomore Lexi Lance spearheaded the third-quarter rally to make it only a seven-point difference. Lockett buried three charity tosses and had five points in the stanza, while Lance was credited with two free throws and four points. 

FOURTH QUARTER
• Toledo did not go quietly and received back-to-back layups from Beacham to make the score 57-51 at the 4:55 mark.

• Troy quickly pushed the lead back to double figures, but the Rockets retaliated with a 10-2 run to set the difference at three, 67-64, with 50 seconds left in regulation. Lockett registered half the points in the late rally to bring the Toledo bench to its feet.

• Unfortunately for the Rockets, they did not score again, while the Troy tallied their final four points at the line to make the final score 71-64.

UP NEXT
• Toledo will wrap up its four-game road swing against 2019 Postseason WNIT participant Pacific (7-3) tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. (PST). The Rockets will battle the Tigers for the first time on the hardwood. They are 5-7 (.417) all-time against teams from the West Coast Conference (WCC).

• The last WCC team the Rockets faced was Saint Mary's (Calif.) in the championship game of the 2013 SMC Hilton Concord Thanksgiving Classic, whom they lost to 81-57 (Nov. 30).

• Pacific claimed a 71-62 neutral-court win vs. St. Francis College this evening following Toledo's game.