TOLEDO, Ohio – The University of Toledo women's basketball team visits Eastern Michigan on Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. (ESPN3) contest at the Convocation Center in Ypsilanti, Mich. With a win, the Rockets would clinch their 10^th MAC regular season Championship in program history.

Toledo clinched the No. 1 seed in the MAC Tournament on Wednesday with its 76-52 win at Central Michigan. The victory also secured a share of the regular season MAC title; Buffalo defeated Ohio on Wednesday to keep UT from clinching the championship outright.

The 2022 MAC Tournament begins Wednesday, March 9 in Cleveland, Ohio. As the No. 1 seed, the Rockets will play the first game of the tournament at 11:00 a.m. against the No. 8 seed.

Toledo's 16 conference wins ties a program record for most MAC victories in a season with the 1996-97 team that went 16-2 in league play.

All 14 players saw the court on Wednesday in Mount Pleasant and four Rockets scored in double figures. Sophia Wiard stuffed the box score, scoring 14 points while dishing out eight assists and grabbing five rebounds. Sammi Mikonowicz recorded a double-double, her fourth of the season, with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Quinesha Lockett scored 11 points and Jayda Jansen added 12 points off the bench. Soleil Barnes added a pair of three-pointers off the bench.

Toledo leads the MAC in six categories: scoring margin (+11.38), free throw percentage (74.9%), assist/turnover ratio (1.1), scoring defense (60.23), field goal percentage defense (36.4%) and three-point field goal percentage defense (28.9%).

The Rockets will close out the regular season at home with games against Northern Illinois (Wednesday, March 2) and Western Michigan (Saturday, March 5).


Last Time vs. Eastern Michigan
Toledo continued its strong start to Mid-American Conference play on Wednesday Jan. 5, defeating Eastern Michigan 64-48 at Savage Arena.

The Rockets got off to a slow start and trailed the Eagles 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.

 Quinesha Lockett scored a game-high 23 points, her sixth 20-point performance of the season.

Starting her second straight game, Hannah Noveroske added 14 points, six rebounds, and three blocks. 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).

Rocket Notes

• Toledo clinched the No. 1 seed in the MAC Tournament on Wednesday. The last time UT was the top seed in the conference tournament was the 2012-13 season. That season the No. 1 seed received a bye into the semifinals; Toledo lost to eventual MAC Tournament Champion No. 4 Central Michigan in the semis.
• A win on Saturday would clinch Toledo's first regular season MAC Championship since 2012-13 and it would be the 10th in program history (1990-91, 1991-92, 1994-95, 1996-97, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2010-11, 2012-13).
• For the second straight week, the Rockets received votes in the AP poll. Prior to last week's appearance, the last time UT received votes in an AP poll was 2012-13.
• Toledo is now 16-1 in MAC play, which has tied program record for most conference wins in a season is 16 by the 1996-97 team (16-2).
• The Rockets are one of just six teams in the country to have at least 10 wins at home and 10 wins on the road. Stony Brook, Rhode Island, IUPUI, Princeton, and Gonzaga are the others.
• Toledo has had an exceptionally strong defensive season to this point. UT leads the MAC in scoring defense (60.23), field goal percentage defense (36.4%), and three-point field goal percentage defense (28.9%).
• In MAC play, opponents are averaging just 61.2 PPG and are shooting just 36.7% from the field against Toledo, both of which are tops in the conference.
• Toledo's average scoring margin this season is +11.38, comfortably the best in the league. Kent State is in second place (+8.85).
• The Rockets are the top free throw shooting team in the conference (74.9 percent) and boast the top free throw shooter as well (Sophia Wiard, 86.2 percent). As it stands, Wiard is the most accurate free throw shooter in program history (84.1%).
• UT has been especially accurate from the free throw line the last three games, making 51-of-59 shots (86.4%).
• Offensively, the Rockets have cracked 70 points in 10 of the last 12 games. UT reached the 70-point benchmark five times in the first 12 games of the season.
• In Wednesday's game at Central Michigan, Toledo shot 50% from the floor (28-for-56), the fifth time this season the team has shot at least 50% from the floor.
• Perennially among the national leaders in attendance, Toledo is right back near the top of Division I in 2021-22. UT is averaging 3,570 fans per game in three home games this year, which ranks 23rd in the nation in average attendance. Toledo's next home game is Wednesday, March 2 vs. Northern Illinois.
• 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 3,251.
• Toledo has had a MAC-high six different players record a double-double this season: Quinesha Lockett (4), Sammi Mikonowicz (4), Jessica Cook (3), Sophia Wiard (2), Nan Garcia (1), and Hannah Noveroske (1).
• Sophia Wiard leads the MAC and ranks 17^th in the country in assist/turnover ratio (2.45). She led the MAC in that category last season as well.
• Five Rockets are averaging at least five rebounds per game in conference play: Sammi Mikonowicz (8.1), Quinesha Lockett (6.2), Jessica Cook (5.9), Hannah Noveroske (5.1), and Sophia Wiard (5.1).
• Quinesha Lockett sits 8th in the MAC in scoring (17.9 PPG). She's scored in double figures in 24 of 26 games this season and has cracked 20 points 13 times. She is one of four players in the MAC to have at least 13 20-point performances.

 
About Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan enters Saturday's game with a record of 7-17 and a 4-13 mark in MAC play. The Eagles are coming off a 72-65 setback at Northern Illinois on Wednesday, but had won their previous two games prior to the loss. EMU is led offensively by Areanna Combs (18.2 PPG), who ranks seventh in the MAC in scoring, and Ce'Nara Skanes (12.8 PPG, 9.25 RPG). Skanes ranks sixth in the MAC in rebounding.