CLEVELAND, Ohio – Senior Mariella Santucci and junior Mariah Copeland have been named to the 2019-20 Academic All-Mid-American Conference Team, the league announced on Tuesday. A total of 56 student-athletes were named to the squad from this past season.

Santucci was selected to the academic team for a school-record third time, while Copeland is earning the distinction for the first time. Santucci is the ninth player in program history to garner academic all-conference recognition on three occasions.

An international business major with a 3.39 GPA, Santucci averaged 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 per game in 2019-20. The only Rocket to start every contest, 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).

A 2019-20 team captain, Santucci scored in double figures on 16 occasions, the third-highest total on the team, including a career-best 31 points against Miami on Feb. 5.

A member of Toledo's Dean's List the last three semesters, Santucci wrapped up her collegiate career fifth in school history in career assists (614) and minutes played (3,878), sixth in steals (202), eighth in games played (130) & 24th in points (1,103). 

A pre-business major with a 3.32 GPA, Copeland averaged 0.7 points, 0.1 rebounds, 0.1 assists and 0.1 steals in 4.3 minutes per game in 2019-20. A member of Toledo's Dean's List the last two semesters, she knocked down a triple and had one assist in a season-high nine minutes vs. Northern Illinois in the regular-season finale on March 7.

The Rockets finished the year with a 14-17 overall record and a 7-11 MAC 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 Academic All-MAC honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport.

2019-20 MAC Women's Basketball Academic All-MAC Team
MARIELLA SANTUCCI, TOLEDO, SENIOR, 3.39, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS, (BOLOGNA, ITALY)
MARIAH COPELAND, TOLEDO, JUNIOR, 3.32, PRE-BUSINESS, (TOLEDO, OHIO)