TOLEDO, Ohio – Four Rockets scored in double figures to lift the Midnight Blue & Gold to a 76-50 victory over Mid-American Conference East Division leader Ohio on Wednesday before 3,364 fans in Savage Arena. With the resounding triumph, Toledo improves to 15-7 overall, 7-4 in the league.

Sophomore Nakiah Black paced Toledo offensively with a season-tying best six triples and 20 points. The first-year Rocket shot a blistering 6-of-10 from beyond the arc, equaling the ninth-highest total in school history.

Senior Kaayla McIntyre had 17 points, a game-high 12 caroms and a contest-best five rejections to post her sixth double-double of the season and 15th as a Rocket.

Junior Mariella Santucci also notched her third career double-double with 13 points and a season-high 10 helpers. 

Rounding out UT's double-digit scorers was senior Mikaela Boyd with 14 points, to go along with six dimes.

Toledo was extremely efficient offensively, shooting a season-high 59.2 percent (29-of-49) from the field and collecting a MAC season-tying best 25 assists. The Rockets also converted a season-best 62.5 percent (10-of-16) from three-point range to record their sixth win over the last eight games. 

Cece Hooks paced Ohio (20-3, 9-3 MAC) with a game-high 21 points, while Amani Burke had 11.

UT limited the Bobcats to a season-low 24.0 percent (18-of-75) shooting mark, including a frigid 7.7 percent (2-of-26) from behind the three-point arc, en route to its second-straight victory in the series.

Ohio came into tonight's MAC cross-division showdown leading the league is scoring offense (82.5 ppg), three-point field-goal percentage (.385, 233-of-605) and three-point field-goals made (10.6, 233 ), as well as ranking second in overall field-goal percentage (.456, 632-of-1,385).

FIRST QUARTER
• Black was a perfect 3-of-3 from three-point range in the opening 10 minutes to help the Rockets claim an early 16-9 lead. 

• As a team, UT shot an impressive 4-of-6 from three-point land in the first period to give a home team an advantage it would not surrender.

SECOND QUARTER
• Black remained dialed-in shooting the long ball in the second quarter, nailing two more treys to make UT's lead 29-23 at the intermission. 

• The Concord, N.C. native drilled an impressive 5-of-7 from three-point range in the first half and finished with a game-high 17 points.

• Three different Rockets were credited with three-point field goals in the opening 20 minutes, as the home team connected on a sizzling 60.0 percent (6-of-10) from beyond the arc.

THIRD QUARTER
• With Ohio extending its defense to not allow UT to shoot any more three's, the Rockets benefited from three layups by Santucci to make the lead 41-31 at the 4:22 mark.   

• Toledo then went back to the long ball and received three-point field goals from junior Sara Rokkanen and yet another from Black to give them a 50-40 advantage heading into the final stanza.

FOURTH QUARTER
• The Rockets gave themselves a little breathing room at the outset of the fourth quarter, reeling off the first seven points to push their lead to 17 points, 57-40, at the 8:07 mark. A trey from Santucci and layups by Boyd and McIntyre brought the home crowd to its feet.

• Moments later, Toledo put the game on ice on the strength of back-to-back layups from McIntyre and one from sophomore Tanaya Beacham to establish a 20-plus point difference, 67-46.   

UP NEXT 
• The Rockets will travel to MAC West Division rival Northern Illinois (14-9, 6-5 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 16. The opening tip against the Huskies is slated for 1:00 p.m. (CT) in the Convocation Center and will be streamed on ESPN3.
 
• UT and NIU will meet for the first of two times this year and 55th time overall.
 
• Toledo leads the all-time series, 34-20, and has won five of the last seven meetings against its division rival. NIU holds a 24-11 edge in games played in DeKalb.
 
• A season ago, the teams split their two games with the home team winning each time. The Rockets secured a 63-60 home triumph against the Huskies in Savage Arena (Jan. 13), before suffering an 89-79 road setback in the Convocation Center (Feb. 28).


Highlights from UT's win over Ohio.


Head Coach Tricia Cullop post-game.


Sophomore Nakiah Black post-game.