University of Toledo
James Madison
Toledo Opens 2023-24 Season at James Madison on Wednesday Night
11/7/2023 8:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Rockets and Dukes tip off at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+
TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo women's basketball team begins its 2023-24 season on Wednesday at James Madison. The contest between the Rockets and Dukes will tip off at 7:00 p.m. from Atlantic Union Bank Center and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Toledo and James Madison are meeting in the first leg of the inaugural MAC-SBC Challenge. The MAC-SBC Challenge is a scheduling alliance of the men's and women's basketball programs in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and Sun Belt Conference (SBC). The first meeting of the programs will take place in the first week of November. The 12 MAC men's basketball programs will host 12 SBC schools, while the 12 MAC women's basketball programs will visit their 12 SBC counterparts.
Rockets Looking to Three-Peat in 2023-24
Toledo turned in one of the best seasons in program history in 2022-23. The Rockets won their 11th MAC regular season championship last year and captured their ninth MAC Tournament title, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. Toledo also won its first NCAA Tournament game since 1996, taking down No. 5 seed Iowa State in the first round on March 18. The win was the 17th in a row for UT, which set a new school record for longest winning streak in school history.
The Rockets welcome back their entire starting five from last season, including reigning MAC Player of the Year Quinesha Lockett and two-time All-MAC honoree Sophia Wiard. Sammi Mikonowicz, Khera Goss, Jessica Cook, and Nan Garcia all return from last season's championship-winning team as well. The 2021-22 MAC Sixth Player of the Year, Hannah Noveroske, will also be back on the court after missing last season due to injury.
Toledo Picked First in MAC Preseason Coaches Poll
Toledo was picked to win its third-straight Mid-American Conference title in the annual preseason coaches poll, while Quinesha Lockett was named to the Preseason First-Team All-MAC squad and Sophia Wiard and Sammi Mikonowicz were both named to the second team.
The league's 12 head coaches picked the Rockets to win the league for the second straight preseason poll, with 11 of 12 votes going to UT. Ball State picked up the other first-place vote. Toledo also claimed 10 of 12 votes to win the MAC Tournament in March, with Ball State receiving the other two votes.
The top five was comprised of Toledo (121 points), Ball State (110), Kent State (102), Bowling Green (77), and Northern Illinois (72).
Quinesha Lockett Closing in on 2,000 Points
Quinesha Lockett enters the season on the cusp of a major milestone, as her 1,992 career points put her just eight away from becoming the third Rocket ever with 2,000 career points. She would join Mimi Olson (2,144 points) and Kim Knuth (2,509 points) as the lone women's basketball players to reach that benchmark.
Rockets' Robust Non-Conference Schedule
Highlighting Toledo's non-conference slate are four matchups against 2023 NCAA Tournament teams: James Madison, Gonzaga, Michigan, and Duke. Toledo will host Michigan in Savage Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 6 at 5:00 p.m. in a nationally televised game on the CBS Sports Network, a rematch of UT's upset victory in Ann Arbor last season. The Rockets also host Cincinnati on Sunday, Nov. 19 in their home opener.
Season and individual game tickets for the women's basketball program are on sale now. 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.
About James Madison
The reigning Sun Belt Conference champions, James Madison was picked to win the league again in the preseason coaches poll, garnering nine of the 12 first-place votes. Peyton McDaniel and Kseniia Kozlova were both named to the preseason all-conference team and were key contributors on the Dukes' championship-winning team last year. JMU was 26-8 a year ago and were a No. 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament, falling to No. 3 seed Ohio State, 80-66, in the first round.
Next Up
Toledo visits Gonzaga on Sunday, Nov. 12 in a battle between two mid-major heavyweights. Action begins at 5:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
