KENT, Ohio – Sophomore Sophia Wiard knocked down a three-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation to send the University of Toledo women's basketball team (8-8, 4-8 MAC) to overtime against Kent State (7-3, 6-1 MAC), but the Rockets couldn't keep pace with the Golden Flashes in the extra period and fell 93-87 at the M.A.C. Center on Monday.
 
Toledo led for nearly the entire first half and carried a nine-point lead into halftime, 39-30. But Kent State fought back in the second half and wrestled the lead away from UT in the fourth quarter, leading by as many as six with less than three minutes to play.
 
The Rockets trailed by five, 72-67, with four seconds left when Wiard nailed a three to make it a two-point game. After a Kent State free throw, Wiard took the inbounds pass with 2.3 second left on the clock and drilled the game-tying trey to send the UT bench into a frenzy and the game into overtime.
 
In the extra period, Kent State took an early lead and didn't look back, handing Toledo its fourth straight defeat.
 
"In a game like this, the difference between winning and losing is so small," head coach Tricia Cullop said. "The thing that I can't criticize about the way we played today was our effort. Our competitiveness and desire to win was amazing. We just need to connect a little more offensively, and there were a few key stops defensively that we needed to make but didn't."
 
Sophomore Quinesha Lockett led all players with 31 points, her second 30-point game of the season. Wiard added 22 points and a team-high nine rebounds, and four steals to help the cause. Freshman Khera Goss poured in 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor.
 
Kent State was led by Clare Kelly, who scored 27 points and made all 12 of her free throw attempts. The Golden Flashes outrebounded the Rockets, 48-32.
 
First Quarter

• Toledo opened up a double-digit lead on Kent State in the first quarter thanks to an 11-3 run that made the score 17-7.
• The Rockets had the Golden Flashes doubled up at 24-12 in the closing seconds before a KSU three-pointer at the buzzer cut the UT lead to nine, 24-15, after the first 10 minutes of play.
• Toledo was able to grab an early lead thanks to some excellent shooting; UT shot 68.8 percent (11-of-16) from the floor in the first quarter.

 
Second Quarter

• A 12-5 Kent State run at the beginning of the quarter cut the Toledo lead to 33-27.
• The Rockets still led by six with less than a minute remaining, until Wiard drained a three with just seconds left on the clock to send her team into the locker room with a 39-30 advantage.
• The Golden Flashes ranked second in the MAC in three-point field-goal percentage coming into the game, but the Rockets held them to just 3-of-14 shooting from the behind the arc in the first half.

 
Third Quarter

• Kent State ended the third quarter on a 17-7 run to make it a one-point game, 55-54, heading into the final stanza.
• The Golden Flashes outrebounded the Rockets to the tune of 12-4 in the third period and turned that advantage on the glass into five second-chance points to help close the gap.
• Lockett did her best to keep Toledo out in front, scoring 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting in the quarter.

 
Fourth Quarter

• Kent State capitalized on a Toledo turnover early in the fourth quarter, turning the UT miscue into two points and its first lead of the afternoon.
• The Rockets found themselves on the wrong end of a 15-8 run to start the quarter, leading to a 69-63 hole.
• Lockett began chipping away at the deficit with a pair of free throws, then sped up the court for a layup to put her team within two, 69-67.
• Wiard drilled two three-pointers in the final four seconds to send the game into overtime in dramatic fashion.

 
Overtime

• Katie Shumate of the Golden Flashes made a three-pointer to open the scoring in OT, which would put her team ahead for good.
• Sophomore Mali Morgan-Elliott hit a clutch trey in the closing seconds to make it a four-point game and keep the Rockets alive, but KSU's Kelly knocked down both of her free throws after the ensuing UT foul to all but clinch the game.
• Toledo sent Kent State to the line 14 times in overtime with to hope of mounting another comeback, but KSU shooters made 13 of their 14 attempts at the charity stripe to ice the game.

 
Up Next

• Toledo will host Buffalo (10-5, 7-3 MAC) on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 5:30 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.