TOLEDO, Ohio - Toledo officially wrapped up its 2019-20 season on Wednesday with the release of its postseason awards. The Rockets held a team virtual banquet today to acknowledge Nakiah Black, Sara Rokkanen, Mariella Santucci and Arianne Whitaker and also recognize the efforts of the other members of the program.

The Rockets finished the year with a 14-17 overall record and a 7-11 Mid-American Conference ledger. The Midnight Blue & Gold seemed on the verge of a memorable finish at the 2020 MAC Tournament after knocking off No. 8 seed Akron and shocking No. 1 seed Central Michigan in the tourney quarterfinals. However, Toledo's 'Cinderella Run' came to an end when the tournament was canceled due to concerns about the Coronavirus.

The complete list of award winners is as follows:

TEAM MVP
Senior Mariella Santucci (Bologna, Italy)

Santucci started all 31 contests in 2019-20, averaging 10.9 points, a squad-best 6.3 rebounds, a team-high 5.2 assists and a team-best 1.5 steals in 30.5 minutes.

The only Rocket to start every game, Santucci led the MAC in helpers (160), as well as ranking second in assist/turnover ratio (1.70, 160-94), 10th in free throw percentage (.719, 105-of-146), 12th in defensive caroms (4.77 rpg, 148) and 15th in overall rebounding (194).

The Bologna, Italy native scored in double digits on 16 occasions during the year, the third-highest total on the team, including a career-high 31 points at Miami on Feb. 5.

The 2019-20 team captain led the Rockets in assists on a squad-best 26 occasions, rebounding a team-high 12 times, steals on 11 occasions, scoring six times and blocked shots on five occasions.

In MAC contests, Santucci tallied a squad-best 12.3 ppg, a team-high 6.2 rpg, a squad-high 5.2 apg and a team-best 1.2 spg in 30.8 mpg.

A two-time Academic All-MAC honoree, Santucci wrapped up her collegiate career fifth in school history in assists (614) and minutes played (3,878), sixth in steals (202), eighth in games played (130) and 24th in scoring (1,103).

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER
Freshman Quinesha Lockett (Omaha, Neb.)

A player who could guard any position on the perimeter, Lockett paced the Rockets in thefts on a team-high 12 occasions in 2019-20, scoring five times, rejections on four occasions and rebounding three times.

Lockett started 24 of the 31 games in her rookie campaign with Toledo, averaging 9.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 26.1 minutes.

The Omaha, Neb. native finished second on the team in offensive caroms (54), tied for second in thefts (36), third in overall field-goals made (110), minutes played (806) and games started, fourth in scoring and rejections (7) and fifth in three-point field-goals made (19).

Lockett also scored in double figures on 15 occasions during the year, the fourth-highest total on the team, including a season-high 20 points vs. arch-rival Bowling Green on Jan. 18.

In MAC contests, Lockett tallied 10.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.6 apg and 1.2 spg in 29.1 mpg.

ULTIMATE ROCKET
Senior Mariella Santucci (Bologna, Italy)

The "Ultimate Rocket" is awarded to the player that excels on the court, in the classroom, and in the community. A two-time Academic All-MAC recipient, Santucci led team in assists (160), games started (31), three-point field-goal percentage (.373, 28-of-75), free throws made (103), overall rebounding (194), steals (45) and defensive boards (148), as well as finishing second in scoring (10.9 ppg) and minutes played (945), third in overall field-goal percentage (.446, 103-of-231), free throw percentage (.719, 105-of-146), blocked shots (8) and offensive caroms (46) and fourth in field-goals made (103) and three-point field-goals made (28).

An International Business major with a 3.39 GPA, Santucci also performed 11.5 hours of community service during the 2019-20 season and graduated as the only player in program history to tally at least 1,000 career points, 600 assists, 500 rebounds and 200 steals.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Junior Tanaya Beacham (Youngstown, Ohio)
    
Beacham was asked to be more assertive offensively in 2019-20 to fill the void left by 2018-19 second-team All-MAC honoree Kaayla McIntyre. Beacham did an excellent job in her expanded role this past season, averaging 10.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.2 assists and 0.7 steals in 24.6 minutes.

The 2019-20 team captain shot a team-high 58.3 percent (144-of-247) from the field, the 10th-best mark in school history in a season. Beacham also ranked tied for eighth in the MAC in offensive boards (2.32 rpg, 72).

Beacham scored in double figures on 17 occasions during the year, the second-highest total on the team, including a collegiate-best 22 points at Detroit Mercy on Dec. 14.

The Youngstown, Ohio native paced the squad in rebounding on 10 occasions, scoring nine times, blocked shots on seven occasions and steals five times.

Beacham ended the year on a roll, registering at least 10 points in each of the final nine games while averaging a squad-best 15.6 ppg.

In MAC contests, Beacham tallied 11.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.2 apg and 0.7 spg in 23.9 mpg.

In MAC Tournament play, Beacham contributed 14.5 ppg and a team-high 9.5 rpg in 34.0 mpg, shooting a squad-best 48.3 percent (14-of-29) from the floor.

A season ago, Beacham averaged 3.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.2 assists and 0.2 steals in 11.3 minutes in all 33 games off the bench. The three-year letterwinner shot 47.3 percent (53-of-112) from the floor, the second-highest total on the squad.

SIXTH PLAYER AWARD (sponsored by Igniters Fan Club)
Junior Tatyana Davis (Madison, Ga.)

Davis contributed 7.0 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.7 steals in 17.8 minutes in 30 games in 2019-20.

The three-year letterwinner scored in double figures on nine occasions during the year, the fifth-highest total on the team, including a career-high 17 points vs. Memphis on Nov. 24.

Davis paced the squad in steals on seven occasions, blocked shots six times, assists twice and scoring and rebounding once.

WHATEVER IT TAKES
Junior Nakiah Black (Concord, N.C.)

The "Whatever it Takes" is awarded to the player who does everything in their power to make the team better. Black started all but one game in 2019-20, averaging a team-high 12.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals in a squad-best 32.1 minutes. The two-time team captain ranked tied for 12th in the MAC in three-point field-goals made (2.00, 60). An inspirational player who consistently motivated herself and her teammates on a daily basis, Black attempted a team-high 190 three-point field-goal attempts, the 10th-highest total in school history in a season.

A 2019-20 Preseason All-MAC West Division Team honoree, Black scored in double digits a team-high 18 times during the year, including a season-best 23 points vs. Pacific at the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic on Dec. 20.

The Concord, N.C. native paced the squad in scoring on a team-high 12 occasions, steals 11 times, assists on eight occasions and rebounding seven times.

One of the MAC's premier three-point shooters, Black made at least four triples on nine occasions as a Rocket, including a collegiate-best six two times in 2018-19. Black's six treys are tied for ninth-most in school history and the most by a Rocket since Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott buried a school-tying best eight at BGSU on Jan. 27, 2018.
 
In MAC contests, Black tallied 11.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.5 apg and 1.2 spg in a team-best 31.3 mpg.

In MAC Tournament play, Black contributed a team-high 15.0 ppg in a squad-best 36.5 mpg.

ACADEMIC AWARD
Freshman Yaniah Curry (Cottleville, Mo.)

A 2019-20 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) team representative, Curry posted a perfect 4.0 GPA in Fall 2019.