TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo women's basketball team (8-2) won its fifth straight game on Sunday, a 57-45 victory over Dayton (0-10) at Savage Arena.
The win snaps the Rockets' three-game losing streak against Dayton, which has made 15 straight postseason appearances and won an NCAA Tournament game last season.
Toledo controlled the game from the outset and by the end of the first half led Dayton by double figures. The Flyers trimmed the Rockets' lead down to seven points midway through the third quarter, but would not get any closer. Dayton's final total of 45 points marks the second time this season UT held an opponent to fewer than 50 points.
"I'm glad we got the win," head coach
Tricia Cullop said. "I thought we had some good stretches defensively. When you don't shoot well you better play good defense, which I think we did. It was one of those 'grind it out' games. Â It wasn't pretty and I wish we could have played better, but a win is a win. We know we'll need to play better against Oakland and when we start MAC play."
Leading the charge on Sunday was junior
Khera Goss, who scored a career-best 16 points, the sixth time this season she has eclipsed double figures in scoring. Senior
Quinesha Lockett scored 10 points while dishing out five assists. Senior
Sophia Wiard stuffed the box score, tying a career-high with 11 rebounds and adding seven points, six assists, and a team-best three steals. Junior
Sammi Mikonowicz and sophomore
Jessica Cook each tallied seven rebounds, helping Toledo win the battle on the glass, 45-36.
Dayton was led by Anyssa Jones and her 14 points and seven rebounds. Maliya Perry contributed 13 points and nine rebounds off the bench.
Next up for Toledo is a home game vs. Oakland (4-4) on Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 7:00 p.m.
Bleacher tickets for Toledo's home games vs. Oakland (Dec. 21), Western Michigan (Jan. 4), and Ball State (Jan. 11) are available for $8.00 in advance and $9.00 at the door. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Rocket Athletic Ticket Office at the Sullivan Athletic Complex in Savage Arena, contact the Rocket Athletic Ticket Office at 419-530-GOLD (4653) or go online to UTRockets.com/tix.
1st Quarter
- Goss made the first basket of the game, but Dayton's Taisiya Kozlova followed that up with a three-pointer to put the Flyers ahead by a point early.
- With the score tied at 5-5, Toledo launched a 9-0 scoring run to take a 14-5 lead with 3:50 to go in the quarter. Mikonowicz and Garcia bookended the scoring spurt with three-pointers.
- Cook ended the quarter with a basket right off a Dayton turnover to put UT ahead 16-10.
2nd Quarter
- Lockett opened the second quarter with a three-pointer to put Toledo's lead at 19-10.
- A quick 6-2 run for the Flyers put them within five points, 23-18, at the 2:03 mark of the quarter.
- The Rockets were able to push their lead back into double figures by halftime, putting the score at 30-19.
3rd Quarter
- Dayton's Shannon Wheeler scored the first points of the second half, but Goss scored the next four points bring Toledo's lead to 13 points, 34-21.
- The Rockets' lead sat in double figures for much of the third quarter, but a 6-0 run by Dayton did trim the lead to seven, 36-29, with 5:34 to go in the quarter.
- Toledo responded to UD's run by scoring five straight points on a bucket by Mikonowicz and a trey from Jansen to make it 41-29.
- The third quarter ended with UT leading 45-35.
4th Quarter
- After Dayton's Maliya Perry scored the first basket of the quarter, the Rockets answered with seven straight points to bring their lead to a game-high 15 points, 52-37. Goss' three-pointer at the 6:17 mark of the quarter concluded UT's fourth-quarter scoring run.
- Dayton hit back with five straight points to trim the lead to nine, 52-43.
- In the final two minutes of the game, Wiard's three-pointer and Jansen's layup cemented the Rockets' double-figure lead, which settled at 57-45 when the final horn sounded.
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