Rockets Finish 2024 Slate Against Defiance College

Saturday, December 28

Toledo, Ohio

2:00 p.m

University of Toledo

Defiance College

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Khera Goss averaged 14.5 points and 6.0 rebounds, and shot 56.3% at the Cherokee Invitational.

Rockets Finish 2024 Slate Against Defiance College

12/27/2024 12:50:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Toledo puts three-game winning streak on the line vs. the Yellow Jackets

TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo women's basketball team will play its final non-conference game of the season on Saturday, Dec. 28 against Defiance. Tip off will be at 2:00 p.m. at Savage Arena on ESPN+ with radio streaming on WCWA 1230 AM and The Varsity Network App.

The Rockets (7-2, 0-0 MAC), who have won three straight games, are coming off two stellar performances in the Cherokee Invitational, defeating Troy 70-62 in the tournament semifinals and Liberty 71-63 in the championship. Graduate student Sammi Mikonowicz was named the tournament MVP, averaging 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and knocking down 50.0% of her three-pointers. Graduate student Khera Goss and sophomore Kendall Carruthers were also named to the All-Tournament Team.

The Yellow Jackets (2-10, 0-0 WHAC) have won their last two games to break a year-long losing streak. Defiance most-recently dominated Grace Christian (Mich.) 60-37 on the road Dec. 20.

Toledo and Defiance have met seven times all-time and will meet for the first time since Feb. 11, 1982, when the Rockets won 66-54.

Saturday's game will be Kids Day, and any youngster under the age of 12 dressed as their favorite superhero, princess or player will receive free admission. Fans can check out the kids zone and little crawlers can compete in the baby race at halftime!

General parking is available in parking areas 1 and 2 and reserved parking is available in lots 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 and 18.

Toledo (7-2, 0-0 MAC) vs. Defiance (2-10, 1-6 WHAC)
Saturday, Dec. 28 | 2:00 p.m. | Toledo, Ohio/Savage Arena | Live Stats | Tickets

WATCH: ESPN+ (Jeremy Otto and Rhett Boyd)
LISTEN: The Varsity Network/WCWA 1230 AM (Jim Heller)

All-Time: Defiance, 5-2
Last Meeting: Toledo 66, Defiance 54 – Feb. 11, 1982

Rockets Capture Crown at Cherokee Invitational

Toledo's victories over Troy and Liberty earned the Rockets the 2024 Cherokee Invitational championship at the Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Resort last week.
Toledo won both games in come-from-behind fashion. Against Troy, the Rockets erased an 11-point deficit in the second half, out-scoring the Trojans 31-12 over the final 11:41 of game play, taking control in the fourth quarter on a 9-0 scoring run.
After a back-and-forth battle against the Flames, Toledo trailed 39-33 early in the third quarter. From there, the Rockets would go on a 21-4 run for the rest of the quarter to go up 54-43. The Rockets would grow the lead to as much as 15 in the fourth quarter before holding off Liberty's comeback bid.
Khera Goss led the Rockets, averaging 14.5 points in the tournament on a 56.3% (9-of-16) shooting performance. She also made 8-of-8 from the free throw line.
Sammi Mikonowicz and Kendall Carruthers each averaged 13.0 points for the tournament.
Hannah Noveroske played a career-high 26 minutes in a strong final game, setting new season highs with nine rebounds and four blocks.
Toledo's win over Troy gave the Rockets a 4-0 record against the Sun Belt Conference over the last two seasons.

Rockets Gain Mid-Major Poll Recognition

Toledo entered the College Insider Women's Mid-Major Top 25 for the first time this season, coming in at No. 23 in Tuesday's poll.
The Rockets have received votes for the past several weeks, picking up 49 in the Dec. 17 poll.
Toledo joins MAC peers Buffalo (No. 6) and Ball State (No. 8) in the poll. Kent State and Bowling Green also received votes.
The poll is voted on by a committee of 31 mid-major head coaches.

Of Note

A victory will give Toledo its first home winning streak of 20 games since winning 22 in a row between 2010-2011.
Toledo is tied with Iowa for the fifth-longest home winning streak in the country. South Carolina holds the longest streak with 64 straight home victories.
Mikonowicz is sixth in the MAC in scoring (14.0) while Goss is 16th in the league (11.6),
Goss is also shooting 42.9% (12-for-28) from three, which is tied for the fourth-best percentage in the league. She went 3-for-5 (60%) from distance during the Cherokee Invitational.
Noveroske is tied for third in the league in blocks, with 1.0/game.
Mikonowicz has continued her top marks in rebounding, sitting at eighth in the league with 6.44/game. She has averaged 9.3 rebounds in her last three games.
Each of Toledo's seven wins have been by single digits.