Toledo, Ohio - Senior Mikaela Boyd poured in 22 points to lead Toledo to a 73-63 victory over Western Michigan on Wednesday before 3,377 fans in Savage Arena. With the double-digit home win, the Rockets improve to 17-9 overall, 9-6 in the Mid-American Conference. 

The two-time third-team All-MAC honoree shot an efficient 9-of-12 from the field and 4-of-6 from the charity stripe against the Broncos (9-17, 3-12 MAC) to surpass the 20-point plateau for the second time this year and eighth time as a Rocket. 

Boyd also tallied six rebounds, five assists and two steals in 36 minutes to help the Midnight Blue & Gold secure its 11th-consecutive triumph vs. its MAC West Division rival.

Senior Kaayla McIntyre added 14 points and five helpers in 36 minutes, while junior Sara Rokkanen tied her season high with 13 points off the bench.

The Rockets also benefited from junior Mariella Santucci, who nearly recorded the second triple-double in school history. Santucci finished with nine points, a game-high nine boards and a contest-best seven dimes in 39 minutes.

As a team, the Rockets shot a respectable 52.7 percent (29-of-55) from the field, including 30.8 percent (4-of-13) from three-point land, and 68.8 percent (11-of-16) from the charity stripe.

UT eclipsed 50 percent from the floor for the sixth time this year and on two occasions it has come against WMU.

Toledo also held a commanding 38-28 rebounding advantage, as four of its starters had at least five caroms, and finished with 22 assists on 29 field goals to record its 10th home win.

Deja Wimby paced Western Michigan with a game-high 24 points, while Kamrin Reed and Leighah-Amori Wool had 14 and 10, respectively. 

FIRST QUARTER
• UT utilized an 11-2 run midway through the opening quarter to assume a 17-16 lead after the opening 10 minutes. Boyd spearheaded the burst with six points, knocking down a trifecta of short jump shots. 

SECOND QUARTER
• The teams traded the lead on five occasions in the second period, sandwiched between a 9-2 Toledo run, which gave the home team a slim 30-29 advantage at intermission.

• Boyd was once again Toledo's catalyst offensively, pouring in six of her 13 first-half points in the stanza. The Hillside, Ill. native filled up the first-half stat sheet, tallying six rebounds, two helpers and one theft.

• The Broncos kept the game close thanks to 10 UT turnovers, which they translated into 12 points.

• Wimby paced WMU with eight points in the opening half, followed closely by Reed with seven, all in the second stanza.

THIRD QUARTER
• Toledo made a concerted effort to pound the ball inside in third period, scoring its first 10 points on layups. Four different players were credited with baskets in the opening three-plus minutes, as Toledo held a 40-35 lead at the 6:10 mark.

• Western Michigan momentarily knotted the score at 40-40, but UT responded with a pivotal 9-0 run to force the visitors to burn its second timeout. 

• Boyd started the crucial rally with a short jumper, followed by five-consecutive points from Rokkanen, before sophomore Tatyana Davis finished it off with a spinning layup in the lane to make the score 51-44 heading into the final period.
 
FOURTH QUARTER
• The Broncos made it a two-possession affair early in the quarter thanks to nine points from Wimby, but a pair of layups from McIntyre and Rokkanen's game-high game-high third three-point field goal preserved the home victory.

• Toledo also shot a splendid 9-of-10 from the free throw line down the stretch to put the game away.

UP NEXT
• The Rockets will host Northern Illinois (17-10, 9 -6 MAC) on Saturday, March 2. The opening tip against the Huskies is slated for 2:00 p.m. in Savage Arena and will be streamed on ESPN3.

• Prior to Saturday's home finale, UT's four seniors - Mikaela Boyd, Kaayla McIntyre, Sarah St-Fort and Mae Tshitenge - will be honored. The Rockets will also recognize senior student athletic trainer Melissa Doozan as part of their pre-game festivities.

• UT and NIU will meet for the second time this year and 56th time overall. The Rockets dropped a tough 54-52 road decision against the Huskies on Feb. 16 in the Convocation Center.

• Toledo leads the all-time series, 34-21, and has won five of the last eight contests against its division rival. UT also holds a 20-5 advantage in games played in Savage Arena, including a 9-1 mark under head coach Tricia Cullop.

• A year ago, the Rockets secured a 63-60 home win against the Huskies before 3,716 fans in Savage Arena (Jan. 13).

 
Highlights from UT's victory against Western Michigan. 


Head Coach Tricia Cullop post-game.


Senior Mikaela Boyd post-game.