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.

 
Up Next

• Toledo will hit the road to play at Akron this Saturday, Feb. 13 at 2:00 p.m. on ESPN+.

Highlights from Toledo's game against Buffalo.


Head Coach Tricia Cullop post-game.


Sophomore Quinesha Lockett post-game.