TOLEDO, Ohio – The University of Toledo women's basketball team will look to continue its winning ways this week when it heads to Ball State for a Wednesday night contest. The game between the Rockets (12-3, 6-0 MAC) and Cardinals (9-6, 2-3 MAC) will tip off at 6:30 p.m. at Worthen Arena and be streamed live on ESPN3.

Toledo is coming off a 73-52 win at Northern Illinois on Saturday, its sixth straight victory. Toledo's six-game winning streak is the longest since the 2016-17 season, when the team won eight games in a row. The 6-0 start to conference play is the best for UT since the 1998-99 season, when the team won its first eight conference games.

In Saturday's action in DeKalb, Toledo and Northern Illinois traded baskets early in the game, but a 24-6 first-half scoring run for the Midnight Blue and Gold put them up big, and they would hold a double-digit lead for the rest of the afternoon.

Quinesha Lockett provided 23 points, including 18 in the first half, and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Jessica Cook and Sammi Mikonowicz both contributed 11 points and seven rebounds apiece, and the post duo combined for five steals as well. Sophia Wiard once again stuffed the box score with nine points, nine assists, and three steals.

The Rockets held the Huskies to 35.0 percent shooting (21-for-60) and held NIU 0-for-10 from beyond the arc, the first time since 2013 that a UT opponent failed to make a three-pointer.

During Toledo's six-game winning streak, the team is outscoring opponents by an average of 14.3 PPG and holding opposing teams to a cumulative 33.4 FG% and 29.0% from beyond the arc. Three Rockets are averaging double figures in scoring during the winning streak: Quinesha Lockett (17.2 PPG), Sophia Wiard (12.2 PPG), and Hannah Noveroske (11.0 PPG).

Following Wednesday's game, Toledo returns home to host Buffalo on Saturday, Jan. 22 at 2:00 p.m.

Rocket Notes

• The Rockets are off to a 6-0 start in conference play for the first time since the 1998-99 season, when the team won its first eight conference games.
• Toledo's six-game winning streak is the longest since the 2016-17 season, when the team won eight games in a row. That streak culminated in a 82-71 victory over NIU in the MAC Tournament Championship Game.
• Defense has been a strength for the Rockets this season, as they have led the MAC in scoring defense (57.33) and field goal percentage defense (34.9%) for much of the season. UT ranks 19th in the nation in field goal percentage defense, and opposing teams have shot above 40% from the field just once.
• In the game at Northern Illinois on Saturday, the Rockets held the Huskies without a three-pointer (0-for-10), the first time an opponent has failed to make at least one three in a game since March 6, 2013 (Ball State, 0-for-13).
• In MAC play, opponents are averaging just 55.7 PPG and are shooting just 33.4% from the field against Toledo.
• Perennially among the national leaders in attendance, Toledo is right back near the top of Division I in 2021-22. UT is averaging 3,345 fans per game in three home games this year, which ranks 24th in the nation in average attendance. Toledo's next home game is Saturday, Jan. 22 against Buffalo.
• Toledo shot 50% from three-point range at Western Michigan (1/8), the second time the team has shot at least 50% from long range this season; they made 52.6% of their threes against Loyola (Md.) (10-for-19).
• UT has shot at least 40% from the field in each of the last six games.
• UT's free throw shooting has been very good the last three games. The Rockets are 43-for-54 (79.6%) from the line over their last two contests, which has propelled them to third in the MAC in free throw shooting (71.4%).
• Toledo's 51 rebounds against Central Michigan last Wednesday were a season high and the most in a game since they had 53 rebounds against Ohio on Jan. 10, 2018.
• UT registered a season-best 11 steals in the win over SIUE (12/19).
• Hannah Noveroske tied a career-high five blocks in the win at Kent State (12/29), the first time a Rocket had at least five blocks in a game since Kaayla McIntyre had five blocks against Ohio on Feb. 13, 2019.
• There have been three, five-block performances by a MAC player this season, and Noveroske has two of them. Central Michigan's Jahari Smith has the other, she had five blocks against Northern Illinois on Jan. 1.
• Sophia Wiard led the MAC in assist/turnover ratio last season and sits second the league this season (2.39).
• Quinesha Lockett sits eighth in the MAC in scoring (18.0 PPG). Lockett has scored in double figures in 13 of 15 games this season and has cracked 20 points eight times. She is one of four players in the MAC to have at least eight 20-point performances.

 
About Ball State
Ball State enters Wednesday's game with a record of 9-6 and a 2-3 mark in league play. The Cardinals are coming off an 83-76 loss at Akron and have played four of their last five contests on the road. Three players are averaging double figures in scoring for Ball State: Anna Clephane (16.2 PPG), Sydney Freeman (10.5 PPG), and Thelma Dis Agustsdottir (10.4 PPG). The Cardinals can shoot the ball quite well, and rank second in the MAC in field goal percentage (44.0%).