Toledo Rallies But Falls to Buffalo at Home, 82-73

Wednesday, February 10

Toledo, Ohio

5:30 P.M.

University of Toledo

8-9,4-9MAC

Buffalo

11-5,8-3MAC

Buffalo

Toledo

Sophomore Mali-Morgan Elliott tied her career high with 14 points in Wednesday's loss against Buffalo.

Photo by: Ross Achter

Toledo Rallies But Falls to Buffalo at Home, 82-73

2/10/2021 9:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

TOLEDO, Ohio – The University of Toledo women's basketball team (8-9, 4-9 MAC) scored a season-high 31 points in a fourth-quarter rally but it wasn't enough in an 82-73 loss to Buffalo (11-5. 8-3 MAC) at Savage Arena on Wednesday. The Rockets, who made 7-of-13 shots from beyond the arc in the final period, trailed by 13 points after three quarters before making a late run.

Sophomore Quinesha Lockett led Toledo with 21 points and five assists, her ninth game with at least 20 points this season. Sophomore Mali Morgan Elliott tied her career-high with 14 points and made 4-of-7 three-point attempts, while classmate Sophia Wiard added 15 points. Sophomore Soleil Barnes reached double-figures for the second time this season with 11 points off the bench.

Toledo trailed by just five, 30-25, at halftime, but Buffalo pushed its lead to double digits in the third quarter. UT came back to make it a one-possession game, 71-68, with 1:16 left in the fourth quarter, but couldn't complete the comeback.

Buffalo was led by Dyaisha Fair and her game-high 29 points, 25 of which came in the second half. The MAC's second-leading scorer, Fair was just 7-for-29 from the field but made 14-of-15 free throws. Cheyenne McEvans contributed a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Elea Gaba nearly made it there with 17 points and nine boards.

The Bulls dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Rockets 52-34, including a 22-11 disparity in offensive rebounds.

First Quarter

Toledo kept pace with the Bulls in the first quarter thanks to Lockett's nine points on 4-of-6 shooting.
The first stanza was a back-and-forth affair, with Buffalo holding a 15-14 lead and neither team making more than two field goals in a row at any point.

Second Quarter

The Rockets grabbed the lead early in the second quarter thanks to back-to-back threes from Barnes and Wiard, making the score 20-17 with 7:02 left in the half.
Buffalo then used a 9-0 run to turn a three-point deficit into a six-point lead late in the first half, 26-20 with 1:50 to play.
After two Morgan-Elliott free throws, UB scored four points in a row to take a 30-22 lead in the final minute. Morgan Elliott answered back with her first trey of the night to close the gap to five points before halftime.

Third Quarter

The third quarter began with six straight points from Buffalo to put Toledo down by double digits, 36-25.
UT's deficit was trimmed to eight, 47-39, when Barnes and Lockett drilled two quick three-pointers. After Barnes knocked down her triple, Lockett grabbed a defensive board then pulled up from long range and made her second three of the game.
Buffalo scored six of the final nine points of the third quarter to take a 55-42 lead going into the final 10 minutes of play.

Fourth Quarter

The Rockets came out firing to start the fourth quarter, using a 10-2 run to pull within five, 57-52.
Freshman Sammi Mikonowicz and Lockett scored the first buckets of the quarter for Toledo, then Morgan-Elliott nailed two straight three-pointers to push her team to within five points of the Bulls.
UT continued to chip away at its deficit with Wiard, Morgan-Elliott, Barnes, and Lockett all making clutch triples in the final frame. Lockett's three-pointer with 1:16 to go in the game made it a one-possession game, 71-68, but Buffalo's Jessika Schiffer answered with a three on the other end to put UB's lead to six.
Buffalo sealed the deal by making 8-of-10 free throws in the final minute to stave off a late Toledo rally.

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