University of Toledo
Akron
Toledo Set to Host First-Place Akron on Saturday Afternoon
1/20/2023 2:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Matchup between Rockets and Zips tips off at 2:00 p.m.
TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo women's basketball team welcomes first-place Akron to Savage Arena on Saturday in Mid-American Conference action. The Rockets (12-4, 3-2 MAC) and Zips (13-3, 4-1 MAC) will tip off at 2:00 p.m. on ESPN3.
Saturday's game vs. Akron will be Toledo's first-ever "Justice for Sierah" game. The Rockets are hosting this promotion in conjunction with the Justice for Sierah Foundation. For more information on the foundation, please visit justiceforsierah.org.
The game will feature several fundraisers to support the foundation, including a special ticket deal where $5 of each ticket purchased through utrockets.com/J4S will be donated to the foundation. Additionally, custom purple "Justice for Sierah" jerseys worn by the Toledo women's basketball team will be auctioned off after the game, with all proceeds going toward the foundation. The auction is now live and closes on January 23. Access the online auction at utrockets.com/Sierah.
The Rockets will be looking to get back on track after an 88-76 setback at Bowling Green on Wednesday. Despite the loss, Quinesha Lockett turned in another productive offensive performance, scoring 27 points and going a career-best 11-for-11 from the free throw line. It was the third straight 20-point game for Lockett and the 33rd 20-point game of her career. Earlier this week, Lockett was one of 15 players nationwide to be named to the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award midseason watch list. The Rockets will get their rematch in the Battle of I-75 presented by Cooper Tires on the last day of the regular season, Saturday, March 4Â at Savage Arena.
The next home contest for Toledo after Saturday's contest will be this Wednesday, Jan. 25 vs. Miami. That game will be the Rockets' annual "Wine Night,"Â which will take place in Fetterman Gym beginning at 5:30 p.m. 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.
Rocket Notes- UT will be looking to continue its recent success against the Zips, having won the last six meetings and nine of the last 10. Toledo owns a 46-14 all-time record vs. Akron.
- In the last 55 games (dating back to the end of the 2020-21 season), Toledo has lost back-to-back games only once. That happened earlier this year in losses vs. Duke and Penn State.
- Akron, Ball State, and Bowling Green are in a three-way tie for first place in the MAC standings and Toledo will have played all of them in a four-game stretch, with two of those contests coming on the road.
- The Rockets lead the MAC and are among the national leaders in average attendance, ranking 24th nationally (3,978). They rank third among mid-major teams, only trailing New Mexico (4,927) and Gonzaga (4,838). They drew 4,027 vs. Ball State last week, the third time they've drawn at least 4,000 fans to a game this season.
- Toledo ranks as the best free throw shooting team in the league, ranking first in the MAC in free throw percentage (78.5%), second in free throws made per game (15.6), and third in free throw attempts (19.8). UT ranks eighth in the country in free throw percentage and has shot 75% or higher from the charity stripe in nine of its last 11 games.
- As a team, the Rockets rank in the top four in the MAC in both scoring offense (3rd, 72.7) and scoring defense (3rd, 62.1), joining Akron as the only MAC team to rank in the top four.
- Quinesha Lockett enters Saturday's game sitting in eighth place all-time at Toledo with 1,665 career points. She is 13 points away from moving into seventh place and passing Kelly Savage (1986-90). Kim Knuth (1995-99) is Toledo's all-time leading scorer with 2,509 career points.
- Lockett's 1,665 career points are the most among current MAC players, just ahead of Miami's Peyton Scott (1,647). Lockett ranks No. 37 among active D1 players in career points.
- Lockett leads the MAC in scoring in conference play, averaging 23.4 PPG in five MAC contests.
About Akron
Akron enters Saturday's game with a record of 13-3 and a 4-1 mark in MAC play, putting them in a three-way tie atop the conference standings with Bowling Green and Ball State. The Zips have defeated Ohio, Miami, Eastern Michigan, and Central Michigan so far, and their only conference loss was a five-point setback vs. BGSU at home. Sophomore forward Reagan Bass leads the team in both scoring (17.4 PPG) and rebounding (7.6 RPG).
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