TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo women's basketball team surged back from a double-digit deficit for the second time this season, overcoming a 14-point deficit in the second half in a 76-73 win over Northern Kentucky at Savage Arena on Sunday.
 
The Rockets (2-1, 0-0 MAC) trailed 55-41 in the third quarter, but out-scored the Norse (2-3, 0-0 Horizon League) 35-18 over the final 13:42 to come away with the victory. Trailing 73-70 entering the final minute, sophomore Kendall Carruthers hit the game-tying three-pointer before graduate student Nan Garcia delivered the game-winning putback with just 2.8 seconds to play.
 
Graduate student Khera Goss delivered a season-high 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 3-for-6 from three-point range. Classmate Sammi Mikonowicz added 16 points of her own, shooting 4-for-7 from the floor and a perfect 7-for-7 at the line. Carruthers finished with her second-straight 15-point effort, adding three assists which led the Rockets.
 
Mikonowicz and Garcia each crashed the glass for a game-high seven rebounds on the afternoon. Defensively, freshman Faith Fedd-Robinson came up with four steals and added a block to her total. Carruthers added two swipes while Garcia and Goss each tallied a block.
 
The victory earned Toledo its 17th-straight home win as the Rockets have now reached a full calendar year without a home defeat.
 
1st Quarter – Northern Kentucky 19, Toledo 15

• Northern Kentucky used a 9-0 run over 1:56 to take a 9-2 lead at the 7:18 mark.
• Toledo then chipped away, pulling back to a 15-15 tie with 1:10 left to play in the period.
• The Nose scored on back-to-back layups to end the quarter up 19-15.
• Six different Rockets scored in the period.

2nd Quarter – Northern Kentucky 42, Toledo 32

• Up 26-22, the Norse went on a 12-2 run over 2:48 to extend the lead to 38-24 with 3:17 left in the half.
• Back-to-back threes by Cadence Dykstra and Destiny Robinson cut the deficit to 38-30.
• The Norse then extended the lead back to double digits on consecutive layups.

3rd Quarter – Northern Kentucky 62, Toledo 56

• The two sides traded baskets to start the quarter, with NKU holding a 51-41 lead at the media timeout.
• Down 55-41, Toledo scored eight straight points in 2:03 to cut the deficit to 55-49, the last six on Sammi Mikonowicz free throws.
• Faith Fedd-Robinson's putback at the buzzer once again cut the deficit to six.

4th Quarter – Toledo 76, Northern Kentucky 73

• Down by seven, the Rockets scored six straight points in 1:18 on a Khera Goss three and three made free throws by Kendall Carruthers to cut the deficit to 65-64.
• Sammi Mikonowicz gave Toledo its first lead since the early minutes with an and-one putback, giving Toledo a 67-66 advantage with 5:47 to go.
• The Norse scored seven of the next nine points to regain a 73-70 edge with 1:39 to play.
• Kendall Carruthers drilled a three to tie the game with 51.9 seconds to play.
• After a defensive stop, Nan Garcia got her own miss and put back the layup for a 75-73 lead with 2.8 seconds left. An ensuing NKU turnover sealed the game for Toledo.

Game Notes

• The Rockets also extended their streak of victories against Horizon League opponents to 22 games, dating back to March 20, 2015.
• Toledo's last three victories, dating back to last year are all via double-digit comebacks. The Rockets rallied from down 13 against St. John's in last year's WBIT second round, down 16 against Marshall on Nov. 4 and from down 14 on Sunday.
• Mikonowicz moved into third all-time in Toledo's rebound charts, now totaling for her career and passing former Rocket great Kim Sekulski for third all-time.

UP NEXT
Toledo will finish its two-game homestand on Friday, Nov. 22 when it takes on Long Beach State. Tip-off will be at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+.