KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Toledo women's basketball team cruised to a 75-44 victory at Western Michigan on Wednesday, extending its winning streak to eight games.

The Rockets (20-4, 11-2 MAC) also officially clinched their spot in the MAC Tournament with the win and reached the 20-win plateau for the 21^st time in program history.

For the first time in weeks, there was movement at the top of the Mid-American Conference standings on Wednesday. Toledo's win paired with Ball State's (12-1) win keeps the Rockets one game behind the Cardinals and in a tie for second place in the conference standings. Bowling Green (11-2), however, saw its 11-game winning streak come to an end with its 85-81 loss to Northern Illinois. The Rockets and Falcons will face each other at Savage Arena on Saturday, March 4, the final day of the regular season.

Toledo actually trailed Western Michigan (10-14, 5-8 MAC) 22-19 at the end of the first quarter, but outscored WMU 56-22 over the final three periods. The Rockets held the Broncos to single digits in each of the three final quarters.

Wednesday's win was Toledo's largest in a MAC game since March 5, 2014 (88-52 vs. Eastern Michigan) and the third 30-plus point victory of the year.

"I was really proud of the way our defense settled down in the second quarter," head coach Tricia Cullop said. "Western Michigan was very gritty in the first quarter, but we didn't lose our focus. I was really proud of the way we played defense the rest of the game. We continue to do a good job of reading situations. I thought in the second half we didn't let their zone bother us offensively, we just looked for the open shot."

Senior Quinesha Lockett led Toledo with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting, her ninth 20-point game of the season. She was one of four Rockets to reach double figures in scoring, with sophomore Jessica Cook (12 points), senior Sophia Wiard (11 points), and junior Nan Garcia (11 points) all reached that plateau as well. Junior Sammi Mikonowicz scored eight points and collected a game-high seven rebounds.

Toledo shot 53.4% from the floor, connecting on 31-of-58 shots, and outrebounded Western Michigan 37-26. WMU was led offensively by Lauren Audino, who scored 13 points off the bench. After shooting 64.3% (9-of-14) in the first quarter, the Broncos made just 8-of-39 shots (20.5%) the rest of the way.

Toledo will return home on Saturday, Feb. 18 to host Eastern Michigan at 2:00 p.m. That game will be UT's annual "Rockets for the Cure" game, which will help benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure of Northwest Ohio and the Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center. The Rockets encourage everyone in attendance to wear pink that day in support of breast cancer research.

Fans can purchase tickets for $13 apiece with $5 of each sale donated to the Susan G. Komen and Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center. Please visit utrockets.com/RFCtix to purchase tickets.

To purchase tickets to any Toledo women's basketball game, 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.

1^st Quarter

• Lockett and Cook scored the first two baskets of the game to give Toledo an early lead.
• The Broncos matched the Rockets for the largest lead of the first quarter after a 5-0 run put them ahead 14-10 with 4:53 left.
• A 7-0 run for Toledo turned its four-point deficit into a three-point lead, 17-14, with 2:21 to play. Wiard kicked off the run with a three-pointer, then Mikonowicz and Lockett scored consecutive baskets to cap it off.
• WMU scored the final five points of the quarter to take a 22-19 lead at the break.

• The Broncos scored the first four points of the quarter to take a 26-19 lead, their largest of the game.
• Cook scored the first Toledo basket of the second stanza at the 8:15 mark that kicked off a 9-0 run to put UT ahead, 28-26.
• Western Michigan was held scoreless for 5:30 of game time until a game-tying basket from Williams with three minutes to go in the half.
• A 6-0 Rocket spurt ended the second quarter and sent them into halftime with a 34-28 lead.

• Toledo came out firing to open the second half, scoring five quick points to take a 39-28 lead and prompt the Broncos to call a timeout. UT's run capped out at 10 after a basket from Cook and a three-pointer by Mikonowicz.
• Western Michigan broke its scoreless drought at the 5:43 mark on a shot by Hannah Spitzley, and Audino scored just over a minute later at the 4:36 mark, but those would be the only two WMU field goals of the quarter.
• Senior Justina King knocked down a three-pointer with 2:46 to go to jumpstart a 8-1 run to end the second quarter, giving the Rockets a 59-36 lead at the end of three quarters.

• Both teams traded baskets for much of the fourth quarter, keeping the Toledo lead in the mid-20's.
• Western Michigan's final field goal came at the 6:51 mark, and the Rockets ended the game on a 9-1 run while forcing WMU to miss its final seven shots.
• Garcia's final bucket of the game at the 1:04 mark pushed Toledo's lead into the 30's, where it would remain for the rest of the game.