TOLEDO, Ohio – Sophomore Kendall Carauthers scored 20 points and senior Sammi Mikonowicz added 18 as the Toledo women's basketball team finished off the home portion of the 2024-25 regular-season with an 80-70 win over Central Michigan on Senior Day at Savage Arena on Saturday.
 
The Rockets (21-6, 12-4 MAC) rallied from an early deficit, taking the lead for good in the third quarter and extending the advantage to double-digits in the fourth. Toledo moved to 13-1 in Savage this year and earned its ninth win in 10 games while the Chippewas (12-16, 7-9 MAC).
 
Following the victory, Toledo celebrated five seniors for Senior Day – Nan Garcia, Khera Goss, Sammi Mikonowicz, Jessica Cook and Hannah Noveroske.
 
Quoting Head Coach Ginny Boggess
"I'm so happy for our seniors and their loved ones that were able to be here today. I'm very proud again of the way we played. Central Michigan is a very good team and are getting better every time we play. They've got a great leader and are very well-coached. There was a lot of energy and emotion, and we came out a little bit flat in the beginning, but we responded in the second half in a big way and started making shots. I'm proud of our fight down the stretch and look forward to getting some rest before a big road trip to DeKalb."
 
Top Rocket Performers

• Kendall Carruthers – 20 PTS, 8-of-13 FG, 2-of-4 3-PT FGs
• Sammi Mikonowicz – 18 PTS, 7-of-8 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs, 5 REB
• Khera Goss – 15 PTS, 6-of-10 FGs, 3 AST, 2 STL

Top Central Michigan Performer

• Ayanna-Sarai Darrington – 23 PTS, 7-of-13 FGs, 9-of-9 FTs, 13 REBs

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Central Michigan grabbed an early 13-4 lead, but the Rockets chipped away and cut the deficit to 18-14 at quarter's end, with Sammi Mikonowicz's three-point play in the final seconds of the first quarter closing the scoring. Mikonowicz led with eight points in the quarter.
• The Rockets pushed the game into a back-and-forth battle in the second, first taking the lead at 26-25 with 2:44 to play in the half. After CMU re-gained the advantage, Kendall Carruthers nailed a pull-up jumper as time expired to cut the Chippewas' lead to 33-32 at halftime.
• Toledo went on a 16-6 run out of halftime, gaining a 48-39 edge at the 5:39 mark of the third quarter. Central Michigan cut the lead to three twice, but Carruthers' jumper at the buzzer gave Toledo a 60-55 lead heading into the final ten minutes. Carruthers had nine points in the quarter.
• The Rockets then raced out to a 72-59 lead in the fourth with a 12-4 spurt to start the quarter, punctuated by a Khera Goss triple. Central Michigan cut the lead to six three times, last at the 1:41 mark, but would pull no closer. Goss finished with seven points in the quarter while Faith Fedd-Robinson blocked two shots.

Game Notes

• The senior class honored today holds a 107-23 overall record and 64-8 conference mark over the past four seasons.
• Sammi Mikonowicz reached 1,500 career points, becoming the 11^th player in program history to reached the 1,500-point milestone.
• Toledo finished the regular season 13-1 at home and on an eight-game home winning streak.
• The Rockets shot 54.4% (31-of-57) from the field, their third-straight game shooting above 50%.
• Carruthers set a season high in field goals and was one point away from tying her season high in points.
• Toledo committed just 10 turnovers, tying its fewest of the conference schedule (at Central Michigan, Jan. 11).

UP NEXT
Toledo will hit the road to begin the final week of the regular season, heading to Northern Illinois on Wednesday, March 5 at 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT. The matchup against the Huskies will be streamed on ESPN+ with radio broadcasts on WCWA 1230 AM and The Varsity Network app.