TOLEDO, Ohio – The University of Toledo women's basketball team continued its strong start to Mid-American Conference play on Wednesday, defeating Eastern Michigan 64-48 at Savage Arena.
 
The Rockets (9-3, 3-0 MAC) got off to a slow start and trailed the Eagles (3-5, 0-1 MAC) at the end of the first quarter, but finished the first half on a 16-2 run to set the tone for the rest of the game. Toledo's 9-3 start is its best since the 2018-19 season, when the team also began the season 9-3. The Rockets' 3-0 start to conference play is the program's best since 2010-11.
 
"For the second straight game, we played a team that hadn't played in nearly a month, which is hard to do," head coach Tricia Cullop said. "I'm sure when we play EMU again later this season we'll probably see a totally different team. It was a difficult situation for them, but I'm very proud of the way our kids played tonight. I thought we played great defense when we needed too and we shot exceptionally well from the free throw line. That way key for us, especially early on when we weren't making our shots."
 
Cullop now has 399 career wins, putting her just one victory away from career win number 400.
 
Junior Quinesha Lockett scored a game-high 23 points, her sixth 20-point performance of the season. She now has 976 career points, putting her just 24 points away from becoming the 31^st player in program history with 1,000 career points.
 
Starting her second straight game, junior Hannah Noveroske added 14 points, six rebounds, and three blocks. Sophomore Khera Goss scored in double figures for the fourth time this season, contributing 11 points on Wednesday evening.
 
The Rockets took care of business at the free throw line, making 13-of-14 shots. They also forced 17 EMU turnovers that turned into 22 points on the other end. Overall, Toledo shot 45.1 percent from the floor (23-for-51) compared to Eastern Michigan's 34.7 field goal percentage (17-for-49).
 
Toledo visits Western Michigan this Saturday, Jan. 8 at 2:00 p.m.
 
1^st Quarter

• The Eagles scored the first five points of the game to take an early lead. The Rockets' first points came on a free throw from Lockett that put the score at 5-1 with 7:15 to go.
• EMU led for the entirety of the first quarter, leading by as many as nine, 14-5, at the 3:40 mark.
• Wiard's last-second drive resulted in a layup that put the score at 18-15 in favor of Eastern Michigan at the end of the first quarter.
• Toledo kept itself within reach of EMU for much of the first quarter thanks to deft free throw shooting. UT made 7-of-8 shots from the charity stripe in the first quarter.

 
2^nd Quarter

• Lockett opened the score in the second quarter to make it a one-point game, but EMU's Arenna Combs scored back-to-back baskets to push her team's lead to five, 22-17.
• What followed was a 16-2 Toledo run to close out the second half. UT scored seven straight points to take a 24-22 lead with 4:22 to go, with Cook's basket providing the first lead of the night for the Midnight Blue and Gold.
• After EMU tied the game at 24-24 with 2:54 to go in the first half, Toledo scored the final nine points of the quarter to take a 33-24 lead heading into halftime.
• The Rockets held the Eagles to just six points and 3-of-15 shooting in the second quarter.

 
3rd Quarter

• Toledo opened the second half with a 6-0 run to extend its lead to 15 points, 39-24,
• Eastern Michigan was held scoreless until the 5:23 mark of the third quarter, its first field goal in nearly eight minutes of game time.
• The Eagles whittled the UT lead down to seven at one point, putting the score at 41-34 in favor of the Midnight Blue and Gold.
• Near the end of the quarter, Lockett and Noveroske took advantage of EMU turnovers, converting them into points to push Toledo's lead to 45-34 through three quarters of play.
• Eight of Noveroske's 14 points came in the third quarter.

 
4^th Quarter

• Toledo saved its best for last, making 8-of-12 shots in the fourth quarter.
• Eastern Michigan trimmed the Rockets' lead to single digits, 51-44, with 6:10 to play, but would get no closer.
• Goss took over for a stretch in the fourth quarter, scoring seven straight points to help bring the UT lead back up to 14, 58-44, with 2:42 to play.
• Junior Sophia Wiard added an emphatic three-pointer with 36 seconds to play and put the finishing touches on a 64-48 win.

 

Head Coach Tricia Cullop post-game.



Junior Hannah Noveroske post-game.



Junior Quinesha Lockett post-game.