AKRON, Ohio – The Toledo women's basketball team overcame a 13-point deficit at Akron on Wednesday night to come back and win, 80-76. The victory extended the Rockets' winning streak to 10 and keeps them in a three-way tie for first place in the Mid-American Conference.

Toledo (22-4, 13-2 MAC) found itself down 18-5 with 3:54 to go in the first quarter due to Akron's (15-11, 6-9 MAC) hot shooting. The Zips made 8-of-9 three-point field goals in the first quarter and shot 10-of-13 from the floor overall. The Rockets closed out the first half on a 9-3 run to pull within a point at halftime, and opened the third quarter with seven straight points to take their first lead of the night. Toledo never relinquished the lead after that and withstood a late Akron charge to hold on for the win.

The 13-point deficit overcome on Wednesday was the Rockets' largest of the season and the largest since overcoming a 17-point deficit at Ohio last season (Feb. 16, 2022)

Both Ball State (13-2) and Bowling Green (13-2) also won on Wednesday to keep the top spot in the MAC deadlocked in a three-way tie. The Rockets and Cardinals will face off in Muncie this Saturday before UT hosts the Falcons on the final day of the regular season. Ball State and Bowling Green will battle at the Stroh Center next Wednesday.

"They shot the ball about as well as you can shoot it in the first quarter," head coach Tricia Cullop said. "That was some unbelievable shooting, but we also could have played better defense. One thing I was really proud of was we withstood a rough first quarter and didn't let it take us down. We regrouped, played better defense, and moved the ball better offensively. Hats off to Akron, I thought they played really well tonight."

Senior Jayda Jansen had an excellent shooting night, scoring 19 points on 7-of-10 shots while making 5-of-7 three-pointers. Her 19 points are a season-high and her most-ever in a Rocket uniform. Senior Sophia Wiard poured in a team-best 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting while pulling down six rebounds and dishing out four assists. Senior Quinesha Lockett added 12 points and eight rebounds, and junior Sammi Mikonowicz scored eight points and grabbed eight boards.

"Jayda Jansen was phenomenal," Cullop said. "She shot the ball really well. She was 5-for-7 from three and I thought she passed up a couple good looks too. I thought she put us on her back tonight."

Akron was led by Reagan Bass and her game-high 24 points. Following their lights-out shooting effort in the first quarter, the Zips shot 38.1% (16-for-42) from the field the rest of the way and made just 6-of-20 three-point field goals (30.0%) over the final three quarters.

Following Wednesday's game, the Rockets will visit Ball State on Saturday, Feb. 25. They'll wrap up the regular season at home vs. Kent State on Wednesday, March 1 and vs. Bowling Green on Saturday, March 4.

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.

• Akron grabbed the lead early thanks to its sharp shooting from beyond the arc. The Zips led 15-5 at the media timeout after starting the game 5-of-5 from three-point range.
• Toledo trailed by double digits for much of the first quarter due in large part to Akron's three-point shooting. The Zips made 8-of-9 threes in the first period and held a 28-18 advantage at the break.

• The Rockets chipped away at the Zips' lead in the first half of the quarter, and a Quinesha Lockett three-pointer at the 6:14 mark put the score at 33-28.
• Neither team scored again until 2:55 left in the quarter when Akron's Reagan Bass knocked down a jumper to push her team's lead back to seven points, 35-28.
• Jessica Cook scored on the ensuing possession to begin a 9-3 run for the Rockets that put them within a point, 38-37, heading into halftime.
• After the Zips shot 76.9% from the floor and 88.9% from three, Toledo held them to 33.3% shooting in the second half.

• After trailing for the entire first half, Toledo opened the third quarter with seven straight points to take a 44-38 lead.
• Akron cut the lead to two at the 4:48 mark, but the Rockets responded by scoring 13 of the next 15 points to take a 59-46 lead, their largest of the night. Sophia Wiard scored eight of UT's 13 points during its scoring surge.
• The Zips held Toledo to just two points over the final 2:25 and pulled within eight, 61-53, by the end of the quarter.

• Jayda Jansen and Sammi Mikonowicz hit three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to keep the lead in double digits early in the fourth quarter.
• A cold stretch that saw Toledo score just four points in 4:35 of game time allowed the Zips to pull within three, 71-68, with 4:38 left in the game.
• Lockett and Nan Garcia made back-to-back baskets with less than two minutes to play to extend the lead to seven, 77-70.
• With 43 seconds to play, Akron's Reagan Bass laid one in for two and kickstarted a 6-1 run to make it a two-point game, 78-76, with just 4.7 seconds remaining.
• Wiard sank a pair of free throws to put the score at 80-76, icing the game and putting the finishing touches on a double-digit comeback.