MUNCIE, Ind. – Despite trailing by 15 points late in the first quarter on Wednesday night, the Toledo women's basketball team came back to defeat Ball State, 58-55, in Muncie, Ind. to win its seventh straight game.
 
The Rockets (13-3, 7-0 MAC) fell behind early, trailing the Cardinals (9-7, 2-4 MAC) 21-6 at the end of the first quarter, but chipped away at their sizable deficit until taking their first lead of the night in the third quarter. Toledo trailed by nine points, 52-43, with 8:06 to go, but ended the game on a 15-3 tear to stun Ball State and remain undefeated in MAC play.
 
The 15-point deficit was the largest that Toledo has overcome to win a game this season and the largest comeback since Jan. 26, 2014 when the team stormed back from 17 points down at Ohio.
 
The 7-0 start to Mid-American Conference play is the best since an 8-0 start to league play in the 1998-99 season. The seven-game winning streak is the longest since the 2016-17 season when the team won eight games in a row.
 
"I'm really proud of our players," head coach Tricia Cullop said. "They did a great job of keeping their composure after a tough first quarter. We kept our composure, we kept fighting, and our defense was really terrific at times tonight in making them take a tough shot or commit a turnover. Those stops really added up. Couldn't be more proud of the toughness we showed to get a tough road win tonight."
 
Junior Quinesha Lockett led the way offensively with 14 points and sophomore Khera Goss also reached double figures, scoring 11. Freshman Jessica Cook added nine points, six rebounds, and four assists in her first appearance in the starting lineup since the beginning of the season. Junior Hannah Noveroske added eight points, nine rebounds, and three blocks to help the cause.
 
Defense has been Toledo's hallmark all season long, and once again the team held its opponent to an off shooting night, with Ball State making just 20-of-59 shots (33.9 percent) from the floor. The Rockets made 22-of-57 shots 38.6 percent), but converted 11-of-13 free throws, including 7-of-9 in the fourth quarter.
 
Ball State's Chyna Latimer scored a game-high 18 points and teammate Thelma Dis Agustsdottir contributed 10 points and eight rebounds.
 
Toledo returns home this weekend to host Buffalo on Saturday, Jan. 22 at 2:00 p.m.
 
1^st Quarter

• Ball State scored the first five points of the game, and Toledo's first basket came at the 6:55 mark from sophomore Sammi Mikonowicz to make the score 5-2.
• The Cardinals then went on a 8-0 run to take a 14-2 lead with 4:24 to go in the quarter.
• The first frame ended with seven straight Ball State points to put the Rockets in a 21-6 hole after 10 minutes of play.

 
2^nd Quarter

• Toledo scored the first five points of the second quarter to trim its deficit to 21-11.
• Goss helped pull the Rockets back into the game, scoring nine straight points for UT and helping spark a 14-3 run that put her team within four, 24-20, with 1:08 to go in the first half.
• Ball State finished the quarter with four points in the final minute to bring the ledger to 28-20 heading into the half.
• Neither team shot particularly well in the first two quarters, but the Cardinals did outrebound the Rockets 28-16.

 
3^rd Quarter

• The Rockets opened the second half on an 8-0 run to tie the game at 28-28.
• Lockett scored the first five points of the quarter, then Cook's successful and-one gave the Rockets their first share of the lead of the game.
• Just over a minute later, Lockett cut through the defense for an easy bucket to give Toledo its first lead of the night, 32-30, with 6:53 to go in the third quarter.
• Ball State proceeded to go on a 14-4 run to extend its lead back to eight points, 44-36, with 1:49 to go in the quarter.

 
4^th Quarter

• The Cardinals opened the scoring in the fourth quarter with a three-pointer to take a 48-40 lead. They would end up starting the final frame on a 7-3 run to open up a 52-43 lead with 8:06 left in the game.
• Toledo's game-winning surge started shortly thereafter. Cook bookended an 8-0 run with baskets inside to tie the game at 52-52, but BSU's Estel Puiggros knocked down a trey take a 55-52 advantage with just 3:08 to play.
• The Rockets would hold the Cardinals scoreless for the rest of the game.
• Senior Jayda Jansen was huge in the final minutes of the game, making all four of her free throw attempts.
• Noveroske had the go-ahead bucket with 1:56 to play after grabbing an offensive rebound and going up strong.
• Ball State had two chances with less than 10 seconds left in the game, but both three-pointers missed the mark.