Rockets Come Up Short in 72-64 Battle with Michigan State

Saturday, November 7

Toledo, Ohio

2:00 p.m.

University of Toledo

0-2,0-0MAC

Michigan State

2-0,0-0Big Ten

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Michigan St.	20	11	24	17	72
Toledo	12	11	19	22	64

Evalyse Cole scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds against Michigan State on Saturday.

Photo by: Ellen Holton

11/7/2026 5:34:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Jyah LoVett and Kendall Carruthers combine for 30 points and 11-of-20 shooting

TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo women's basketball team battled against a Big Ten opponent in Michigan State, falling short to the Spartans, 72-64, in front of a crowd of 4,543 at Savage Arena on Saturday.

The Rockets (0-2) came from behind to erase early deficits, taking a 12-10 lead in the first quarter and tying the game, 22-22, in the second. The Spartans (2-0) pushed ahead to an eight-point lead at halftime and led by as many as 18 points in the second half. The Rockets closed to within six in the final minute, but the comeback was too late to draw closer.

Shooting favored Toledo, 39.3% to 35.3%, with the Rockets shooting at a 50.0% mark in the second half. The rebounds were nearly even, with a 45-42 edge for the Spartans. The Spartans held an 18-10 turnover edge in the game and a 20-12 edge in free throws.

Quoting Head Coach Ginny Boggess
"Thank you to everyone that came out today. Thought that was an incredible crowd for a very good opponent. I want to thank Robyn [Fralick – Michigan State head coach] and her team for coming down. Not a lot of teams want to come to Savage."

"I thought it was a hard-fought battle. We've got to fix the obvious things – fouling and turnovers. I thought we fought on the boards for a team that was outmatched from a size standpoint. Really good fight, we prepared like we always do to defend home court. We just fell a little bit short today."

Rocket Leaders

Jyah LoVett – 16 points, 7-of-12 FG, 3 assists, 3 rebounds
Kendall Carruthers – 14 points, 4-of-8 FG, 4-of-5 FT, 4 assists
Evalyse Cole – 12 points, 5-of-9 FG, 8 rebounds, 2 steals

How It Happened

After a pair of early buckets by MSU, Toledo's defense held the Spartans to an 0-for-8 and 1-for-11 stretch, to take a 12-10 lead at the 2:36 mark after back-to-back Ella Weaver threes.
Michigan State ended the first quarter on a 10-0 run for a 20-12 lead.
Toledo came back with a 10-2 run to start the second quarter, tying the game at 22 off a Kendall Carruthers triple. The Rocket defense forced a 1-for-13 shooting stretch for the Spartans to begin the quarter.
Michigan State built a 31-22 lead as Toledo went scoreless for 5:36 and led 31-23 at halftime.
The Spartans used a 12-2 run in the third quarter to take a 47-32 lead with 4:47 to go. Toledo used back-to-back buckets to get within 55-42 at the end of the third.
Down 64-49 entering the final four minutes, Toledo closed to within six by putting up 15 points, including four-straight field goals by Jyah LoVett down the stretch.
Toledo outscored Michigan State 22-17 in the fourth quarter and held the Spartans without a field goal for more than five consecutive minutes during the quarter.

Game Notes

LoVett's 16 points matched her season high from the 2025-26 season, while with Arizona State.
Evalyse Cole is averaging 8.5 rpg across Toledo's first two games.
The Rockets held Michigan State to just 18.2% (4-of-22) from beyond the arc, the Spartans' lowest three-point percentage since Jan. 15, 2026, a span of 17 games.

Up Next
The Rockets continue their homestand against Youngstown State on Tuesday, Nov. 10. Tipoff from Savage Arena on Education Day is at 11 a.m. on ESPN+ and the Rocket Radio Network (WCWA 1230 AM). Admission will be free for Tuesday's game.