TOLEDO, Ohio – The University of Toledo women's basketball team visits Ohio on Wednesday, Feb. 16 for a 7:00 p.m. contest at the Convocation Center in Athens. Wednesday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+.

The Rockets (19-4, 13-1 MAC) and Bobcats (12-9, 6-6 MAC) are meeting for the second time this season after OU previously handed UT its only conference loss on Jan. 26 at Savage Arena.

The loss only proved to be a minor setback for Toledo, which has won its last five games by an average of 13.8 points while continuing to hold court atop the MAC standings. At 13-1, the Rockets hold a three-game lead over second-place Buffalo, which lost in overtime at Northern Illinois this past Saturday.

The last time they took the court, the Rockets handed Bowling Green an 80-51 defeat in front of a crowd of 5,029 at Savage Arena on Saturday. The 29-point win was tied for the largest-ever margin of victory for UT in the history of the Battle of I-75 rivalry and completed the Rockets' first regular season series sweep since 2018-19.

Quinesha Lockett scored a game-high 24 points, her 12th game with at least 20 points this season, and recorded a career-best five steals. Saturday was her third straight game with 20 points, and her 15 points in the first half helped the Rockets build an early lead they never relinquished.

The dynamic backcourt duo of Lockett and Sophia Wiard has helped Toledo keep its place atop the conference standings, especially since its lone setback against the Bobcats. Lockett is averaging 19.0 PPG and 4.4 RPG over the last five contests, and she has reached the 20-point plateau in each of the last three games. Wiard is averaging 15.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 4.6 APG while shooting 48.8 percent from the floor over the Rockets' last five games.

Next up for Toledo is a home contest against Ball State on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 2:00 p.m.

Last Time vs. Ohio
Sammi Mikonowicz tied a single-game school record with 22 rebounds, but it wasn't enough as Toledo fell to Ohio 79-72 at home on Wednesday, Jan. 26. The loss snapped the Rockets' eight-game winning streak and was their first blemish in Mid-American Conference play.

Toledo led by as many as nine late in the third quarter, but saw its offensive well run dry against a hot-shooting Ohio team in the fourth quarter. UT made just 5-of-20 shots in the final frame while the Bobcats shot 81.8 percent (9-of-11).

In addition to her 22 rebounds, Mikonowicz added 13 points and five assists. The Rockets' leading scorer was Quinesha Lockett with 22 points, her ninth game this season with at least 20 points. Sophia Wiard added 18 points and Jessica Cook tied a career-high with 19 points while collecting nine rebounds, eight of which came on the offensive end.

Toledo won the battle on the glass, outrebounding Ohio to 46-33. The Bobcats had the best shooting performance any UT opponent has had all season, connecting on 45.6 percent of their shots (26-for-57) and making half of their three-pointers (8-of-16).

Rocket Notes

• The Rockets received votes in this week's AP Poll for the first time since the final poll of the 2012-13 season.
• Toledo's 13-1 start to MAC play is tied for its best in program history with the following teams: 2012-13, 2010-11, 2000-01, 1998-99, and 1991-92.
• The 2012-13, 2000-01, and 1991-92 teams all went 15-1 in Mid-American Conference play.
• Toledo has scored at least 80 points in back-to-back games for the first time since 2017-18. That year they scored 81 points in wins against Southern (Dec. 18) and Detroit Mercy (Dec. 21).
• The Rockets did not allow a single player to score in double figures against Bowling Green on Saturday, the first time they've helped all opposing players to single-digit scoring since March 6, 2017 vs. Akron.
• As it has for nearly the entire season, Toledo leads the MAC in scoring defense (59.78) and field goal percentage defense (35.9%). UT has held opponents to a field goal percentage of 35% or lower in 11 contests this season and is the only MAC school allowing less than 60 points per game.
• In MAC play, opponents are averaging just 60.6 PPG and are shooting just 35.9% from the field against Toledo, both of which are tops in the conference.
• Offensively, the Rockets have cracked 70 points in nine of the last 10 games. UT reached the 70-point benchmark five times in the first 12 games of the season.
• Perennially among the national leaders in attendance, Toledo is right back near the top of Division I in 2021-22. UT is averaging 3,532 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, Feb. 19 against Ball State.
• In fact, Toledo's average attendance is higher than all other Division I schools in Ohio; Ohio State is in second place with an average attendance of 3,077.
• Toledo has had a MAC-high six different players record a double-double this season: Quinesha Lockett (4), Jessica Cook (3), Sammi Mikonowicz (2), Sophia Wiard (2), Nan Garcia (1), and Hannah Noveroske (1).
• The Rockets are shooting 75.2% from the free throw line in MAC play this year. They have shot over 80% from the line in a game six times in conference play.
• Sophia Wiard has been deadly from the free throw line all season long; she leads the MAC and ranks 25th nationally with an 87.0 FT%.
• Five Rockets are averaging at least five rebounds per game in MAC play: Sammi Mikonowicz (7.5), Quinesha Lockett (6.4), Jessica Cook (6.0), Hannah Noveroske (5.9), and Sophia Wiard (5.0).
• Jessica Cook crashes the offensive boards as well as anybody; the freshman is averaging 3.52 ORPG (5th in the MAC) and tied a season-high with eight offensive boards against Ohio.
• Sophia Wiard led the MAC in assist/turnover ratio last season and is in second place in the league this season (2.26), ranking 26th in the country.

 
About Ohio
Ohio sits at 12-9 with a 6-6 conference record heading into Wednesday's contest. Despite a pair of wins over the top two teams in the league, Toledo and Buffalo, and the second-leading scorer in the MAC in CeCe Hooks (22.85), the Bobcats are currently on the outside looking in of the MAC Tournament field. Their route back into the top eight will not be easy, as their next three games following Wednesday are at Bowling Green, at Akron, and at Buffalo. Ohio boasts the top scoring offense in the MAC (75.52 PPG) and ranks eighth in scoring defense (70.52)