TOLEDO, Ohio - It's a battle for first place when Toledo (20-4, 12-1 MAC) hosts  Ball State (23-3, 12-1) in Savage Arena on Saturday (2:00 p.m./ESPN+).

The winner of Saturday's contest  will move into sole possession of the top spot in the Mid-American Conference with four regular-season games left before the MAC Tournament (March 13-16 in Cleveland).

Ball State won the first battle between the two schools, 63-51, on Jan. 21 in Muncie. Since then, Toledo has rolled, winning eight straight games by an average of 20 points per game. The Cardinals have gone 7-1 with their only loss coming in overtime at Northern Illinois.

"We're going to need a valiant defensive effort against Ball State," said Head Coach Tricia Cullop. "We're going to have to control the boards. I do think we are more well-oiled and ready to play them this time around than we were the first time around."

Last Time Out
Ball State is coming off a 78-54 homecourt win over Central Michigan on Wednesday, while the Rockets also had little trouble in their most recent game, a 68-36 victory over Miami in Savage Arena on Wednesday.

The Rockets started out slowly vs. Miami before taking charge with an 18-4 second quarter that gave them a 32-16 halftime margin. Toledo then opened the second half on a 9-0 run that effectively ended the evening early for the visitors. The Rockets led by as many as 34 points before settling on the final 32-point margin.

Senior guard Sophia Wiard led a balanced attack with 16 points. Joining Wiard in double figures were senior guards Quinesha Lockett (13 points, eight rebounds) and Khera Goss (10 points). A season-high total of 12 Rockets reached the scoring column.

Rockets for the Cure
Saturday's game is the annual "Rockets for the Cure" game to 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 in support of breast cancer research.

The goal of 'Rockets for the Cure' is to provide breast cancer education to the community, provide encouragement to the survivors and their families who are fighting breast cancer, celebrate the survivors who have won the fight, and remember the ones that were less fortunate. The Rockets have raised over $170,000 for this cause since 2010.

The Rockets are offering FREE admission to all Breast Cancer Survivors and those living with Metastatic Breast Cancer.  To claim your free ticket, call 419-530-GOLD (4653), stop by the Rocket Ticket Office in Savage Arena or visit utrockets.com/Survivor for more information.

Fans can purchase tickets for $12 apiece with $5 of each sale donated to the Susan G. Komen and Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center. Please visit utrockets.com/RFC to purchase tickets.

The Rockets will be wearing pink jerseys against the Cardinals, and those jerseys will be available to purchase via an online auction following the game. All proceeds from the live online auction will benefit Susan G. Komen Northwest Ohio and the Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center. The online auction is live and closes on Monday, Feb. 26 at 12:00 noon. The auction includes the special pink jersey the Rocket players will be wearing during the game and a variety of items. Visit utrockets.com/RFCAuction to bid on jerseys or other items.

For more information, call the Rocket Ticket Office at 419.530.GOLD or contact Heather Lutz at Heather.Lutz@utoledo.edu or at 419-530-2486.

Rocket Notes

• Toledo hit the 20-win mark for the third consecutive season and the ninth time under Head Coach Tricia Cullop.
• Toledo is now 78-15 (47-4 MAC) over the past three seasons, including 38-4 at Savage Arena (24-1 MAC).
• The Rockets have now won 20 consecutive MAC home games.
• Wiard's 16 points gives her 1,584 for her career, moving her into ninth place on Toledo's all-time list just ahead of Kaayla McIntyre (1,572 from 2015-19).
• Miami's 36 points is the third-fewest Toledo has allowed this season. The Rockets held Loyola Maryland (65-35 on Dec. 10) and Eastern Michigan (48-35 on Jan. 6) to 35 points.
• The 32-point margin of victory is the second-largest this season behind a 42-point edge over Hillsdale (94-52) on Dec. 30. It was the largest against a MAC opponent since a 36-point win over Eastern Michigan (88-52) on March 5, 2014.