Toledo Hosts Northwestern in Second Round of WNIT on Sunday

Sunday, March 24

Toledo, Ohio

2:00 p.m.

University of Toledo

Northwestern - Second Round

Sophomore Nakiah Black is averaging 12.6 points in home game this year.

Photo by: Toledo Athletics

Toledo Hosts Northwestern in Second Round of WNIT on Sunday

3/23/2019 12:54:00 PM | Women's Basketball

WBB Game Notes vs. NU (PDF)

TOLEDO, Ohio - Toledo (21-11) will host Big Ten member Northwestern (17-14) on Sunday, March 24 in the second round of the Postseason WNIT. The opening tip is slated for 2:00 p.m. in Savage Arena and will be streamed on ESPN3.

The winner of tomorrow's matchup will take on the winner of Big 12 foe West Virginia (21-10) and BIG EAST member Villanova (19-12) in the third round on Wednesday-Friday, March 27-29. Sites and times for the 'Sweet 16' will be released following tomorrow's game.

Toledo has produced an impressive 13-3 (.813) mark in home games this year. In 10-plus years under head coach Tricia Cullop, UT is 137-39 (.778) in the friendly confines of Savage Arena, including 61-17 (.782) against non-conference foes.

UT advanced to the second round of the 22nd-annual post-season tourney for a seventh-consecutive time with a hard-fought 71-65 home victory over BIG EAST member Seton Hall on Thursday. In the six-point home triumph, Coach Cullop earned her program-best 241st victory patrolling the UT sidelines to pass Mark Ehlen (240-149, 1995-2008) for the most victories in program history.

Senior Kaayla McIntyre paced four Rockets in double figures with 16 points against the Pirates, followed closely by senior Mikaela Boyd and sophomore Nakiah Black with 15 and 14, respectively. Junior Sara Rokkanen rounded out Toledo's double-digit scorers with 10 points off the bench.

Toledo also benefited from seven points and a game-high seven assists from junior Mariella Santucci.

As a team, the Rockets shot a respectable 47.5 percent (28-of-59) from the field and 75.0 percent (9-of-12) from the charity stripe.

UT also held a 32-28 edge on the glass and finished with 21 assists on 28 field goals, marking the eighth time it has posted at least 20 helpers in a game this year.

Selena Philoxy led the Pirates (15-16) with a game-high 19 points, while Nicole Jimenez and Victoria Cardaci had 15 and 14, respectively.

McIntyre, Black, Boyd and Santucci continue to lead Toledo offensively, scoring 16.3, 10.8, 9.8 and 9.4 points per game, respectively.

Northwestern qualified for tomorrow's contest by virtue of a 74-61 home victory over Atlantic 10 member Dayton on Thursday. Lindsey Pulliam led the Wildcats with 26 points, followed by Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah with 17 points and a game-high 11 boards.

NU, which is 6-9 away from home, features a balanced offense with three players averaging at least 10.5 ppg, paced by Pulliam's 16.5 ppg.

Tomorrow's second-round match-up in the Postseason WNIT with feature two premier defenses.

Toledo currently leads the MAC in scoring defense (60.8 ppg), as well as ranking second in overall field-goal percentage defense (.387, 714-of-1,844) and third in three-point field-goal percentage defense (.303, 177-of-585), while Northwestern is third (59.9 ppg), third (.379, 683-of-1,804) and fifth (.312, 195-of-626) in the same categories in the Big Ten, respectively.

Toledo and Northwestern will meet for a fourth time overall and first since the 2011-12 campaign.

The Rockets secured an impressive 75-56 road triumph over the Wildcats in the most recent matchup on Dec. 27, 2011 in Evanston.

NU claimed a 73-64 road victory on Nov. 13, 2009 and a 70-60 home triumph on Dec. 22, 2010 in the other two meetings between the schools.

Toledo is 18-33 (.353) all-time against Big Ten Conference schools (0-1 vs. Illinois; 3-3 vs. Indiana; 0-1 vs. Maryland; 8-11 vs. Michigan; 4-3 vs. Michigan State; 1-2 vs. Northwestern; 0-2 vs. Ohio State; 0-8 vs. Purdue; 1-1 vs. Rutgers; 1-1 vs. Wisconsin), including 3-9 (.250) under Coach Cullop.

The Rockets most recently squared off against a Big Ten member in the second round of the 2018 Postseason WNIT, dropping a heart-breaking 68-66 road decision at Michigan State (March 19).

The last Big Ten school UT defeated was Northwestern in 2011.