OXFORD, Ohio – Senior Mariella Santucci poured in a career-high 31 points, but it was not enough as Toledo suffered a 92-83 setback at Miami on Wednesday in Millett Hall. With the loss, the Rockets fall to 10-10 overall, 5-4 in the Mid-American Conference.

Santucci and the Rockets put forth a furious comeback in the fourth quarter, outscoring the RedHawks 33-21, but it was too little too late.

Toledo trailed 71-50 after three periods before putting forth a courageous effort that saw the Midnight Blue & Gold get within seven points in the final minute.

Unfortunately for the Rockets, they could not close the gap any further and as a result suffered their first loss in five games against MAC East Division opponents this year.

Santucci shot 10-of-15 from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line to become the first Rocket to score at least 20 points in back-to-back games this year. The 2019-20 team captain totaled 20 points vs. Kent State on Saturday. Santucci's previous career high was 22 points vs. Belmont on Nov. 29, 2018.

Freshman Quinesha Lockett contributed 13 points, junior Nakiah Black had 11 and junior Tanaya Beacham chipped in 10 off the bench. The Rockets also received nine points from junior Tatyana Davis and senior by senior transfer Arianne Whitaker, as they tied their season high in points

As a team, Toledo connected on 49.2 percent (30-of-61) from the field, including 42.9 percent (9-of-21) from three-point range, and a season-high 87.5 percent (14-of-16) from the charity stripe.

The Rockets also finished with a 34-25 edge on the glass and had three players with at least five boards, highlighted by a contest-best nine by Santucci.

Peyton Scott paced Miami with 28 points, followed closely by Lauren Dickerson and Savannah Kluesner with 23 and 21, respectively. Abbey Hoff also tallied 14 points to help the RedHawks win their third-consecutive game.

FIRST QUARTER
• In a game of runs, Miami utilized an early 11-0 burst to create a 19-4 lead at the 2:45 mark. Scott sparked the home team's strong start with eight points.

• Toledo was forced to burn a pair of timeouts during this stretch, and its second stoppage worked to its favor.

• The Rockets reeled off the final eight points to trim the deficit to seven, 19-12, after 10 minutes. Santucci started the rally with a layup, followed by back-to-back triples from Lockett and Black to make it a three-possession difference.

SECOND QUARTER
• Toledo maintained its strong play at the outset of the second stanza, receiving five-straight points from Santucci to pull within four, 21-17, at the 8:52 mark.

• Unfortunately for the Rockets, Miami countered with a 12-3 rally to increase its lead to 33-20 with 5:26 left in the first half. Four different RedHawks scored points during this time to stretch the margin to double figures.

• Toledo momentarily cut it to single digits, but two treys from Hoff and five-consecutive points by Kluesner made the score 45-29 at the break.

• Santucci led the Rockets with 12 points in the opening half, while Dickerson paced the home team with a game-high 15.

THIRD QUARTER
• Toledo pushed the tempo to begin the second half, forcing Miami to commit four quick fouls. The Rockets used the fouls to their advantage, receiving four points from Whitaker and two by Santucci.

• Miami was once again quick to counter though, getting three-point field goals from Kenzie Schmitz, Dickerson, Scott and Hoff to set the score at 71-50 heading into the final 10 minutes.

FOURTH QUARTER
• The Rockets were a resilient bunch and did not go down without a fight, benefiting from five-quick points from Lockett in the first two minutes of the quarter. The Omaha, Neb. native converted a traditional three-point play and a layup before the media timeout.

• Toledo continued to fight back, receiving eight points from Santucci, six each from Black and Davis and five by Lockett to make the score 88-81 with 34 seconds remaining.

• Unfortunately for the Rockets, Miami's Kluesner drained four-consecutive free throws in the waning seconds to seal the victory.

UP NEXT
• Toledo will travel to Buffalo (13-7, 4-5 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 8. The MAC cross-division showdown is slated for 2:00 p.m. in Alumni Arena and will be streamed on ESPN3.

• Earlier this season, the Rockets secured a 71-59 home triumph against the Bulls on Jan. 8.