PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Toledo women's basketball sustained a tough 79-74 setback at Duquesne on Saturday in the Kerr Fitness Center on the campus of La Roche University. With the loss, the Rockets fall to 2-5 on the season.

The Midnight Blue & Gold trailed by 14 points, 66-52, with 7:55 left in regulation before going on a 19-6 run to make the score 72-71 at the 1:35 mark.

Toledo had a chance to take its first lead since the opening minutes on its ensuing possession, but the Midnight Blue & Gold was guilty of a turnover.

The Dukes' Amaya Hamilton and Paige Cannon retaliated with two free throws each, while the Rockets missed their next shot and had another miscue to essentially end any hopes of a comeback.

"I'm very proud of my team for clawing its way back into the game," Head Coach Tricia Cullop said. "Despite being a young team, we found a way to make it a game at the end. I think that kind of effort shows how much poise we have, but we just have to execute better down the stretch." 

Junior Nakiah Black paced Toledo with a season-high 20 points, followed by senior Mariella Santucci, freshman Soleil Barnes and junior Tanaya Beacham with 13, a season-high 10 and nine, respectively.  

"Nakiah is such a positive leader, especially for our young players," Cullop said. "You have to love how fierce of a competitor she is." 

Black converted an efficient 7-of-11 shots from the field in a season-best 37 minutes, including 2-of-4 from three-point land, and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe to surpass the 20-point plateau for the fourth time as a Rocket. A two-time team captain, Black narrowly missed posting her first-collegiate double-double, pulling down a team-high seven boards.  

As a team, the Rockets shot 48.1 percent (26-of-54) from the floor, including 31.6 percent (6-of-19) from beyond the arc, and a respectable 80.0 percent (16-of-20) from the free throw line.

Amanda Kalin led Duquesne with a contest-tying best 20 points, while Libby Bazelak had 17.

FIRST QUARTER
• The Dukes received eight points from Kalin to help them build an early 19-15 lead. The 5-foot-8 guard was credited with four field goals in the paint to make it a two-possession contest after the opening 10 minutes.

• Toledo did a good job spreading the wealth in the opening stanza, as five different players scored, including a team-high four points from freshman Sophia Wiard.

SECOND QUARTER
• The home team broke the game open with triples from Kalin and Angela Staffileno to extend their advantage to nine points, 31-22, at the 6:27 mark.

• Toledo responded with a traditional three-point play by junior Tyra Carlsten-Handberg and a trey from Black to pull within two, 32-30, with 4:05 left in the half.

• Unfortunately for the Rockets, they were held to only one point for the remainder of the quarter. As a result of the late drought, they found themselves down 43-31 at intermission. The Dukes' Bazelak triggered the late 11-1 burst with six points to make it a 12-point difference at the break.

• Duquesne shot a blistering 63.6 percent (7-of-11) from the field in the second period, including 3-of-4 from three-point land, to create a double-digit cushion.

THIRD QUARTER
• The Rockets' deficit remained at least nine points for the entire stanza, and they trailed 61-49 heading into the final 10 minutes.

FOURTH QUARTER
• Toledo started its comeback with a traditional three-point play by Beacham, followed by a Barnes' triple from the corner to make the score 66-60 at the 6:30 mark.

• Duquesne countered with a trey by Kiersten Elliott, but the resilient Rockets responded with five-consecutive points from Barnes to pull within three, 70-67, with 4:07 left in regulation.

• Toledo eventually made it a one-point game on two occasions in the waning minutes, but the visitors just did not have enough to get over the hump and as a result came up a little short.

• The Dukes' Hamilton put the finishing touches on the home triumph with four free throws in the final minute to set the final score at 79-74.

UP NEXT
• 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+.