TOLEDO, Ohio – Toledo outscored Northern Illinois 22-12 in the fourth quarter to earn a 67-62 victory over the Huskies on Wednesday in Savage Arena. The win puts the Rockets at 8-4 with a 4-4 record in Mid-American Conference play.
 
NIU (6-6, 4-3 MAC) led by nine, 48-39, late in the third quarter, but shot just 22.2 percent (4-for-18) in the final period to let the Rockets back in the game. Toledo used a 10-3 run to start the final stanza to reclaim the lead, 58-53, and didn't look back.
 
Senior Tatyana Davis led the way with a career-high 19 points, her third double-digit scoring effort of the season. Freshman Sammi Mikonowicz (14 points), sophomore Quinesha Lockett (12 points), and sophomore Sophia Wiard (10 points) also reached double digits in the box score.
 
The Rockets shot 34.3 percent (23-for-67) from the field and made 16-of-20 free throws. Toledo also forced 20 turnovers and committed just 10 miscues.
 
Northern Illinois was led by Chelby Koker, who scored 20 points on 6-of-18 shooting, and A'Jah Davis had 12 points after making 6-of-10 shots from the floor.
 
First Quarter

• NIU jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, but the Rockets answered back with three straight buckets to take a 7-5 advantage at the 6:30 mark.
• The two teams traded shots for the remainder of the quarter and were tied at 18-18 after the opening 10 minutes. Toledo shot 8-of-16 from the floor in the first, while NIU was 8-for -15.
• Lockett scored the first two buckets of the game for Toledo and had three rebounds in the period.

Second Quarter

• Toledo used a 12-4 run to start the quarter to take a 30-22 lead, fueled by five points from Davis. The Madison, Ga. native ended up with seven points in the period to lead all players.
• The Huskies didn't stay down for long though, ending the first half on a 10-2 run to take a 34-32 lead into halftime. Janae Poisson scored the final four points of the quarter, including a go-ahead basket with 1:21 to go.
• The NIU defense held the Rockets to just one field goal in the final 5:08 of the opening half.
• Toledo took advantage of seven Northern Illinois miscues, scoring 12 points off turnovers in the first 20 minutes.  

Third Quarter

• Northern Illinois came out firing in to start the second half, utilizing an 8-1 burst to create a 42-33 lead.
• The Rockets struggled from the floor in the quarter, going just 1-for-17. They took advantage of their opportunities at the charity stripe though, making 11 of 12 free throws to keep pace with the Huskies.
• NIU's Koker registered 10 points in the period to help the visitors assume a 45-40 lead heading into the final frame.  

Fourth Quarter

• Toledo stormed back to take a one-point advantage, 54-53, with 6:43 to play. Davis opened scoring with a triple, then a 10-0 run by Toledo turned a five-point deficit into a five-point advantage, 58-53, with 3:12 to play.
• The Rockets shot much better in the fourth quarter, making 53.3 percent (8-for-15) of their shots from the field. Northern Illinois, on the other hand, made just four of its 18 field goal attempts in the final 10 minutes.
• Wiard helped ice the game in the waning minutes, going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.  

Up Next

• The Rockets will travel to Buffalo (8-4, 5-2 MAC) on Saturday, Jan. 23. The opening tip against the Bulls is slated for 2:00 p.m. in Alumni Arena. 

Highlights from Toledo's win over Northern Illinois.


Head Coach Tricia Cullop post-game.


Senior Tatyana Davis post-game.