TOLEDO, Ohio – The University of Toledo women's basketball team hosts Eastern Michigan on Wednesday night at Savage Arena. The Rockets (8-3, 2-0 MAC) and Eagles (3-4, 0-0 MAC) will face off at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+.

The Rockets are coming off a 64-58 win over Akron on New Year's Day that pushed their conference record to 2-0, their first 2-0 start in MAC play since 2014-15.

After having her best game of the season last Wednesday at Kent State, junior Hannah Noveroske outdid herself once again against the Zips, posting career highs in points (19) and rebounds (9) in the win. Her dominance inside helped Toledo accrue a 42-16 advantage on points in the paint on Saturday.

Junior Quinesha Lockett tallied her second double-double of the season, scoring 17 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. Lockett was outstanding in the fourth quarter, draining all three of her three-point attempts to help the cause.

Toledo outrebounded Akron 47-36 in the victory, with sophomore Sammi Mikonowicz and senior Lexi Lance putting in work on the boards by grabbing seven and six rebounds, respectively.

Toledo is one of two MAC teams to begin conference play 2-0, with Buffalo being the other squad.

A pair of Rockets are knocking on the door of history: Lockett and head coach Tricia Cullop. Lockett enters Wednesday's game with 953 career points, putting her 47 points away from becoming the 31^st player in program history with 1,000 career points. Cullop enters Wednesday's matchup with 398 career coaching victories, just two away from 400 career wins.

Toledo visits Western Michigan this Saturday, Jan. 8 at 2:00 p.m.

Rocket Notes

• Toledo has won its first four home games of the 2021-22 season, its best start at home since winning the first nine home contests of the 2017-18 campaign.
• Wednesday will be the 89^th meeting between Toledo and Eastern Michigan. UT has faced EMU 88 times in its history, tied with Central Michigan for most meetings against a single opponent.
• Toledo has posted 52 victories against Eastern Michigan, tied for third-most against a single opponent in school history. The Rockets have beaten Western Michigan 61 times, Ball State 57 times, and both Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan 52 times.
• Toledo is off to an 8-3 start this season, the third time in the last four seasons the team has owned a 8-3 record through its first 11 games.
• Perennially among the national leaders in attendance, Toledo is right back near the top of Division I in 2021-22. UT is averaging 3,487 fans per game in three home games this year, which ranks 24^th in the nation in average attendance. 
• The Rockets lead the MAC in scoring defense (58.55) and field goal percentage defense (35.3%). Toledo has held opponents to 60 points or fewer in seven of 11 games this season, and opposing teams have shot above 40% from the field just once against Toledo.
• Toledo's 47 rebounds against Akron on Saturday were a season-best; UT had previously registered 46 rebounds against Oakland and Seton Hall. The Rockets' 34 defensive rebounds against the Zips were also a season-high and the third time they have grabbed at least 30 defensive rebounds in a game this season.
• Lexi Lance stepped up big on Saturday against Akron; with both Jessica Cook and Nan Garcia unavailable, Lance played a season-high 11:31 off the bench and grabbed six rebounds for the Rockets.
• Hannah Noveroske had 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.

 
About Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan has not played a game in nearly a month because of COVID-19 protocols. The Eagles' last time on the court was a 66-62 home win over Binghamton on Friday, Dec. 10. EMU has three players averaging double figures in scoring: senior guard Areanna Combs (17.1 PPG), senior guard Danielle Rainey (14.7 PPG), and sophomore forward Ce'Nara Skanes (12.6 PPG).