TOLEDO, Ohio – Toledo used a late 8-0 run to register a 61-54 victory against Western Michigan on Wednesday in Savage Arena. With the win, the Rockets improve to 7-3 overall, 3-3 in the Mid-American Conference.

Sophomore Sophia Wiard hit 5-of-6 free throws and classmate Quinesha Lockett drained a huge three-point field goal in the final two minutes to rally the Rockets to victory. Wiard knocked down a pair of charity tosses at the 1:58 mark to give Toledo a 55-54 advantage, a lead the Midnight Blue & Gold would not give up.

Lockett paced Toledo with a game-high 23 points, to go along with a contest-best three steals. The second-year captain has now poured in at least 20 points on a team-high five occasions this year and six times as a collegiate.

Wiard added nine points, eight rebounds and a collegiate-best seven assists, while freshman Khera Goss had nine points. The Rockets also received seven points and a contest-best 11 boards from freshman Sammi Mikonowicz to improve to 6-1 at home this year.

As a team, Toledo shot 33.9 percent (21-of-62) from the field, including 20.8 percent (5-of-24) from three-point land, and 70.0 percent (14-of-20) from the charity stripe. The Rockets also posted a 44-40 rebounding advantage and finished with 10 helpers and only nine turnovers.  

Reilly Jacobson led Western Michigan with 15 points, followed by Megan Wagner and Sydney Shafer with 12 and 11, respectively.

FIRST QUARTER
• The Rockets ended the opening period on a 12-4 run to assume a 16-12 lead. Five different players accounted for points over the course of the final four-plus minutes to help them assume an early two-possession advantage.  

SECOND QUARTER
• Toledo stretched its lead to 23-18 on the first of two treys in the period by Lockett at the 5:18 mark, but the Broncos countered with a late 10-5 rally to knot the score at 28-28 at intermission. Wagner fueled WMU's late burst with two triples to draw the teams even at the break.

• Goss paced Toledo with a game-tying high nine points in the opening 20 minutes, while Wagner and Jacobson led Western Michigan with nine each.

THIRD QUARTER
• The teams exchanged baskets to begin the second half, before WMU ripped off eight-consecutive points to take a 38-31 lead at the 3:17 mark. Shafer triggered the run with a three-point field goal and one free throw to give the visitors' their largest lead of the game.

• The Rockets needed a spark to stop WMU's momentum. The duo of Lockett and Wiard provided just that, with a layup and a pair of charity tosses to close the gap to 38-35 after 30 minutes of competition.

FOURTH QUARTER
• Lockett remained locked in to commence the final stanza, pouring in six-straight points to put the lead back in Toledo's favor, 45-43. The Omaha, Neb. native was credited with a triple, one free throw and an offensive putback in a span of less than one minute to prompt the Broncos to halt play with 7:23 left in regulation.

• The timeout benefited the Broncos, as they strung together a mini 6-0 rally to recapture the lead, 49-45, at the 5:44 mark. Three different WMU players tallied points during this stretch.

• With time becoming a factor, Toledo needed to score and its players answered the bell. Mikonowicz knocked down a huge three-point field goal and added a layup, while Lockett converted a fast-break layup to drawn the teams even for an eighth time. It also set the stage for the Rockets' late 8-0 run to seal the home victory.

• The Rockets dominated the fourth period to help them return to their winning ways, outscoring the Broncos 26-16. They shot a sizzling 8-of-12 from the field over the course of the final 10 minutes, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, and 7-of-10 from the free throw line.

UP NEXT
• Toledo will host arch-rival Bowling Green (8-3, 4-2 MAC) on Saturday, Jan. 16. The opening tip vs. the Falcons is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Savage Arena and will be shown on ESPN+. The Rockets have won the last eight contests against their rival, outscoring BGSU by 12.9 ppg (73.9-61.0) during the unbeaten stretch.