KENT, Ohio – The University of Toledo women's basketball team outscored Kent State 26-15 in the fourth quarter to will its way to a 69-60 win in its MAC opener on Wednesday night.
 
The Rockets (7-3, 1-0 MAC) trailed the Golden Flashes (8-2, 0-1 MAC) by two, 45-43, heading into the fourth quarter, but UT was able to end the game on a 14-5 run to surge ahead and open conference play with a victory.
 
"I'm so proud of the grit our team showed tonight," head coach Tricia Cullop said. "Kent State is a great team. They shoot the three well and they rebound well on the offensive end, and while I don't think we did a great job of keeping them off the boards, I thought we defended their actions really well. We had a good offensive shooting night, with five players scoring in double figures. This was a big win, especially on the road."
 
Sophomore Nan Garcia led the balanced attack with 14 points. Junior Quinesha Lockett scored 11 points, while three Rockets scored 10 points apiece: sophomores Khera Goss and Sammi Mikonowicz as well as junior Hannah Noveroske. Noveroske had her best game as a member of the Midnight Blue and Gold, tallying five rebounds and a career-high five blocks as well.

"I thought Hannah's minutes were huge," Cullop said. "I thought she really stepped up when we absolutely needed her."
 
Junior Sophia Wiard added seven points, seven rebounds, and five assists, while senior Jayda Jansen contributed a pair of clutch three-pointers to help the cause.
 
Toledo's next scheduled game is Saturday, Jan. 1 against Akron at home. That game will tip off at 2:00 p.m. on ESPN3.
 
1^st Quarter

• Toledo jumped out to an early 8-6 lead at the midway point of the first quarter. Garcia accounted for all eight of UT's points by making her first three field goals of the game, two of which came from beyond the arc.
• Noveroske came off the bench at the 6:09 mark and made an immediate impact, registering two blocks on her first defensive possession of the game
• Kent State's Bridget Dunn made two long threes in the final minute to push her team into a four-point lead over the Rockets, 16-12, heading into the second quarter.

 
2^nd Quarter

• The Golden Flashes opened up an eight point lead, 24-16, to begin the second quarter.
• Toledo quickly closed the gap to two, 24-22, with a 6-0 run before Kent State's Hannah Young drilled a three-pointer to put the score at 27-22 with 5:32 to go in the first half.
• Jansen tied the score at 29-29 with a clutch three with 3:25 to go in the quarter, but that would be the final points Toledo would score in the first half.
• Two Kent State buckets in the final minute put the ledger at 33-29, putting the Rockets down by four heading into the locker room.

 
3^rd Quarter

• Wiard opened the scoring in the second half with a three, then a basket from Garcia gave Toledo a 34-33 lead with 7:50 to go in the quarter.
• The Golden Flashes answered with four straight points to move ahead 37-34, but Goss drained a three-pointer with 6:27 left in the third period to tie the score at 37-37.
• With the score tied at 39-39, Kent State's Dunn made another three to give her team a 42-39 advantage with 2:11 to play in the third.
• Jansen's trey with 33 seconds to go made it a two-point game, 45-43, through three quarters.

 
4^th Quarter

• Mikonowicz gave UT a 46-45 lead with her three-pointer to open the fourth quarter.
• After a Kent State basket at the 8:50 mark, both teams only subsisted on free throws until a bucket from KSU's Casey Santoro with 5:03 to play that tied the score at 51-51.
• When Toledo needed a big shot, Mikonowicz struck again; another three-pointer gave Toledo a 55-53 lead with 4:16 to play, a lead that UT would hold for the remainder of the game.
• Noveroske scored six points with less than three minutes to play to help build the Rockets' lead over the Golden Flashes.
• Toledo handled its business at the free throw line in the final 90 seconds to help put the finishing touches on its first conference win of the season.