TOLEDO, Ohio – The University of Toledo women's basketball team returns home on Wednesday as 2021-22 regular-season MAC Champions. So following the 7:00 p.m. matchup with Northern Illinois, the Rockets will celebrate with their fans by cutting down the nets.

Toledo won regular season championship by virtue of its 75-51 win at Eastern Michigan on Saturday but chose to delay the post-game tradition until Wednesday so that their fans could share in the celebration.

Sitting at 23-4 with a 17-1 mark in MAC play, the Rockets currently rank No. 62 in the latest NCAA Net Rankings. They received 15 votes in this week's AP Poll.

Having previously clinched the No. 1 seed in the MAC Tournament with last Wednesday's win at Central Michigan, Toledo just needed to win on Saturday in Ypsilanti to clinch the program's 10^th regular season conference championship. The Rockets proceeded to wallop the Eagles by 24 points, holding them to 51 points and just 19-of-61 shooting (31.1 percent).

Toledo has now won nine straight games, its longest winning streak of the season and the longest since the 2012-13 season.

Toledo closes out the regular season on Saturday, March 5 at home against Western Michigan.

Saturday's game will also be UT's annual "Rockets for the Cure" game. Toledo is offering FREE admission to all Breast Cancer Survivors and those living with Metastatic Breast Cancer. Fans can also purchase pink Rockets for the Cure t-shirts for $12, with all proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen and Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center. T-shirt supplies are limited and will be available for pickup at Fan Services on the main concourse the day of the game. To claim your free ticket, call 419-530-GOLD (4653), stop by the Rocket Ticket Office in Savage Arena or visit utrockets.com/rfc for more information.

The Rockets will be wearing pink jerseys against the Broncos, and those jerseys will be available to purchase via online auction following the game. All proceeds from the live online auction will benefit Susan G. Komen Northwest Ohio and the Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center. The online auction is currently live and includes the special pink jersey the Rocket players will be wearing during the game and a variety of other items. 

Last Time vs. Northern Illinois
Toledo defeated Northern Illinois in DeKalb, 73-52, back on Jan. 15. UT held NIU to 35 percent shooting (21-for-60) and held the Huskies to 0-for-10 from beyond the arc, the first time since 2013 that a Toledo opponent failed to make a three-pointer.

The Rockets and Huskies traded baskets early in the game, but a 24-6 first-half scoring run for the Midnight Blue and Gold put them up big, and they would hold a double-digit lead for the rest of the afternoon.

Quinesha Lockett provided 23 points, including 18 in the first half, and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Jessica Cook and Sammi Mikonowicz both contributed 11 points and seven rebounds apiece, and the post duo combined for five steals as well. Sophia Wiard once again stuffed the box score with nine points, nine assists, and three steals.

Toledo shot 40 percent from the field (30-for-75), its sixth straight game shooting at least 40 percent from the floor. The Rockets won the turnover battle as well, tying a season high by forcing 22 NIU turnovers while committing just nine themselves, tied for their lowest turnover total in a game this season.

Northern Illinois was led by A'Jah Davis, who scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double. Errin Hodges was the Huskies' next-highest scorer with eight points.

Rocket Notes

• Saturday's win clinched Toledo's first MAC regular season title since 2012-13 and the 10th in program history (1990-91, 1991-92, 1994-95, 1996-97, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2010-11, 2012-13).
• Toledo clinched the No. 1 seed in the MAC Tournament last 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.
• For the third straight week, the Rockets received votes in the AP poll. After receiving a combined five votes the previous two weeks, UT received 15 votes this week. That is the fourth-highest total of non-ranked teams, effectively ranking Toledo No. 29 in the country.
• Toledo has won nine straight games, its second winning streak of at least eight games this season. Only the 2012-13 and 1996-97 teams have won at least eight games in a row twice in the same season.
• Toledo is now 17-1 in MAC play, which is a new program record for conference wins in a season. The previous record was 16 by the 1996-97 team (16-2).
• The Rockets are 12-2 in road games this season and their 12 road victories are tied with Northern Kentucky (12-3) for most road wins in the country this season.
• Toledo has had an exceptionally strong defensive season to this point. UT leads the MAC in scoring defense (59.89), field goal percentage defense (36.2%), and three-point field goal percentage defense (28.9%). They are the only team allowing fewer than 60 points per game.
• In MAC play, opponents are averaging just 60.6 PPG and are shooting just 36.4% from the field against Toledo, both of which are tops in the conference. UT has allowed 55 points or fewer seven times in MAC play, more than any other team.
• Toledo's average scoring margin this season is +11.95, comfortably the best in the league. Buffalo is in second place (+7.96).
• The 51 rebounds in Saturday's game at Eastern Michigan tied a season-high. UT also corralled 51 rebounds in the win over Central Michigan on Jan. 12.
• The Rockets are the top free throw shooting team in the conference (74.8 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%).
• 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.
• 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 24^th 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 3,274.
• 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 19^th in the country in assist/turnover ratio (2.29). She led the MAC in that category last season as well.
• Quinesha Lockett sits 8th in the MAC in scoring (17.8 PPG). She's scored in double figures in 25 of 27 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 Northern Illinois
NIU (13-13, 10-8 MAC) has won three straight games and finds itself in fourth place in the conference standings. The Huskies are one of the top rebounding teams in the MAC, pulling down 41.88 board per game. They are led by A'Jah Davis, who is averaging a double-double this season (16.3 PPG, 12.0 RPG) and has reached double figures in rebounds in 22 of NIU's 26 contests.