PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Toledo (2-4) travels to Atlantic 10 Conference member Duquesne (6-2) on Saturday, Dec. 7 for the first of a season-long four-game road swing. The opening tip against the Dukes is slated for 7:30 p.m. in the Kerr Fitness Center on the campus of La Roche University in Pittsburgh and will be televised on ESPN+.

The Rockets are coming off a thrilling 53-48 overtime triumph vs. Belmont on Tuesday before a rambunctious crowd of 4,736 Education Day fans in Savage Arena. 

With Toledo down two points in the extra period, junior Nakiah Black drained a pair of triples in a span of less than 30 seconds to give the Midnight Blue & Gold a 50-48 advantage with 17.3 seconds remaining. The Ohio Valley Conference member Bruins (3-5) had a chance to extend play, but the visitors' layup attempt was off the mark. 

Toledo senior Mariella Santucci secured the rebound and was immediately fouled. She split a pair of free throws to make it a three-point difference with 11.9 seconds left. Belmont had one final opportunity in the waning seconds, but once again the Rockets' defense stood tall and caused one of their 23 turnovers to seal the hard-fought victory.

Freshman Quinesha Lockett paced the home team with a season-high 15 points off the bench, followed closely by Santucci with 13. Santucci nearly had a double-double, tallying a season-high nine caroms, to go along with her contest-best five assists and three steals.

The Rockets also received nine points from Black and a season-high eight by freshman Soleil Barnes to snap a four-game losing skid. 

Toledo, which is 1-1 away from home, continues to be fueled offensively by the quartet of junior Tatyana Davis, Black, Santucci and junior Tanaya Beacham, who are averaging 9.3, 8.8, 8.2 and 7.2 ppg, respectively. 
        
The Rockets will face a red-hot Duquesne team that is riding a six-game winning streak, most recently securing an 88-63 road triumph at Mid-American Conference member Akron on Wednesday.

Paige Cannon paced four Dukes in double figures with 21 points and 11 boards, followed by Laia Sole, Nina Aho and Libby Bazelak with 14, 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Duquesne converted an impressive 50.7 percent (34-of-67) from the field against the Zips, including an eye-popping 53.8 percent (14-of-26) from three-point range. 

Duquesne, which is 1-1 at home, utilizes a high-octane offense with three players contributing at least 11 points led by Bazelak's 13.0 ppg.

Saturday's non-conference matchup will showcase Toledo's stingy defense against the Dukes' high-powered offense. The Rockets are giving up only 59.0 points and allowing the opposition to shoot a mere 38.3 percent (134-of-350) from the field, while Duquesne is shooting 43.0 percent (219-of-509) from the floor and averaging 76.6 points. 

Toledo and Duquesne will meet for a third-straight year and seventh time overall on the hardwood. The Rockets lead the all-time series against the Dukes, 4-2, most recently claiming a 65-52 victory before 3,690 fans in Savage Arena on Nov. 18, 2018.

Toledo has lost two of the three matchups between the schools in the "Steel City," suffering a 73-54 loss on Dec. 6, 2017 and a 63-60 setback on Dec. 9, 2002. The Rockets emerged victorious in the only other meeting in the AJ Palumbo Center, registering a 57-52 win on Dec. 30, 1999.

A year ago, Toledo blew open a tied game in the third quarter with a pivotal 12-3 run to create a lead it would not relinquish. Five different Rockets contributed points over the final 2:58 of the period, including Sarah St-Fort with a layup and a long jumper as time expired to bring the home crowd to their feet.   

Santucci paced Toledo with 19 points, to go along with a squad-tying best seven boards and three assists. 

Kaayla McIntyre added 12 points with seven caroms, while Beacham had a season-high 10 points off the bench. McIntyre and Beacham's strong efforts helped the Midnight Blue & Gold post a sizable 40-28 edge in points in the paint.

Sole led Duquesne with 15 points off the bench, followed by Amanda Kalin and Kadri-Ann Lass with 11 and 10, respectively.

Toledo is 26-23 (.531) all-time against teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference (1-0 vs. Davidson; 11-15 vs. Dayton; 4-2 vs. Duquesne; 1-0 vs. Fordham; 0-1 vs. George Mason; 1-1 vs. Rhode Island; 4-1 vs. St. Bonaventure; 1-0 vs. Saint Joseph's; 0-2 vs. UMass; 3-1 vs. VCU), including 13-9 (.591) under Head Coach Tricia Cullop. Earlier this year, the Rockets suffered a 60-42 setback vs. Dayton in their home opener on Nov. 9.

Following Saturday's road matchup, Toledo will take the ensuing six days off to focus on final exams before venturing to Horizon League member Detroit Mercy (0-9) on Saturday, Dec. 14. Tipoff against the Titans is slated for Noon in Calihan Hall and will be shown on ESPN+.