TOLEDO, Ohio - Toledo utilized a 16-3 second-half run en route to posting a 64-53 victory against Northern Illinois on Saturday before 4,119 fans in Savage Arena. With the "Senior Day" win, the Rockets improve to 18-9 overall, 10-6 in the Mid-American Conference. 

The score was knotted 41-41 at the 3:06 mark in the third period when UT started the game-changing burst on a jumper by senior Mikaela Boyd. Junior Sara Rokkanen followed with a pair of three-point field goals, sophomore Nakiah Black contributed five points and senior Kaayla McIntyre had three to give the Midnight Blue & Gold a 57-44 advantage with 6:28 left in regulation. 

The Rockets did not let the lead slip below double figures the rest of the way, as they successfully bounced back from a tough 54-52 road setback at Northern Illinois (17-11, 9-7 MAC) on Feb. 16. 

"We were much more patient offensively in the second half," Toledo Head Coach Tricia Cullop said. "We made the extra pass and knocked down shots. We had 12 assists on 14 baskets over the final 20 minutes, and I thought that was the difference."   

McIntyre paced Toledo with a game-high 22 points and a contest-best 13 boards to post her eighth double-double this year and 17th as a collegiate. The Toledo native shot an efficient 9-of-12 from the field and 4-of-6 from the free throw line to surpass the 20-point plateau for the eighth occasion in 2018-19.

Black added 12 points, five boards, four helpers and two thefts in a season-tying best 37 minutes. 

Boyd nearly joined McIntyre with a double-double, tallying 10 points, nine caroms and four helpers.

Junior Mariella Santucci chipped in seven points and a game-high six dimes, helping the Rockets close out their home slate with an 11-3 record.

As a team, Toledo shot 44.1 percent (26-of-59) from the floor and 70.0 percent (7-of-10) from the charity stripe. 

UT also held a commanding 42-30 edge on the glass and finished with 20 assists on 26 field goals. 

Mikayla Voigt led the Huskies with 19 points and Gabby Nikitinaite had 11.

NIU was limited to 34.5 percent (20-of-58) from the field, including 8-of-26 (30.8 percent) in the second half. 

FIRST QUARTER
• Northern Illinois held a slim 14-12 first-quarter lead on the heels of seven points from Voigt. The All-MAC candidate shot 3-of-4 from the field, including 1-of-2 from beyond the arc, while playing all 10 minutes.

• UT kept the game close on the strength of two baskets and two free throws from McIntyre. 

SECOND QUARTER
• The Rockets began the second period with a 13-4 run to create a 25-18 lead at the 3:58 mark. Five different players contributed points in the rally, including four from McIntyre, to give the home team a seven-point advantage.

• Unfortunately for the Rockets, their momentum stalled following the media timeout as they were outscored 10-2 for the remainder of the half. Nikitinaite sparked NIU's late run with five points, including a deep triple, to put the visitors in front, 28-27, at the intermission.

• McIntyre and Voigt shared top scoring honors in the first 20 minutes with 12 points each. The difference in the opening half was the play of Nikitinaite, who had nine points.

THIRD QUARTER
• The teams traded the lead on five occasions early in the third stanza, before the Rockets went on their game-changing run. UT closed the quarter with a 6-0 burst to build a 47-41 lead heading into the fourth.

FOURTH QUARTER
• The Rockets kept their foot on the gas pedal and scored 10 of the first 13 points in the fourth quarter to extend their lead to 57-44. Black triggered the strong play with a deep triple and a jumper to force the Huskies to call a timeout.

• Unlike the second quarter though, UT did not lose momentum following the stoppage in play, receiving a second trey from Rokkanen and seven-consecutive points from McIntyre down the stretch to close out the double-digit home victory.

UP NEXT
• The Rockets will travel to Eastern Michigan (12-15, 5-11 MAC) on Wednesday, March 6. The opening tip against the Eagles is slated for 7:00 p.m. in the Convocation Center and will be shown on ESPN+.

• UT and EMU will meet for the second time this year and 84th time overall. The Rockets secured an impressive 63-43 home triumph against the Eagles on Feb. 9 before 4,076 fans in Savage Arena.

• A season ago, UT dropped a 70-57 road decision vs. EMU in the Convocation Center (Jan. 6).


Highlights from UT's win over Northern Illinois.


Head Coach Tricia Cullop post-game.


Senior Kaayla McIntyre post-game.