With a win on Saturday against Northern Illinois, the University of Toledo women's basketball team would have hosted a first-round Mid-American Conference tournament game on Monday.
The Huskies, however, weren't going to let that happen as Courtney Woods had 36 points to lead NIU to an 86-79 win at Savage Arena.
Instead, Toledo is the No. 9 seed in the MAC tournament and will travel to No. 8 seed Akron for a first-round game on Monday.
“I'm very proud of the effort that we had tonight,” Toledo coach Tricia Cullop said. “I think the unfortunate thing is we got in foul trouble more than we wanted to.
“Then we also gave up some key offensive rebounds, and the communication defensively wasn't as good as it was in the Central Michigan game. They are a good team and they are playing really well right now. I think had we stayed out of some foul trouble, maybe it could have been a different ending.
“But that is just the way the ball rolled today.”
Toledo (12-17, 7-11 MAC) got a balanced scoring effort led by Mariella Santucci's 20 points, 16 points each from Nakiah Black and Tanaya Beacham, and 10 points each from Quinesha Lockett and Tatyana Davis.
Woods made 11 of 18 shots from the field, and 11 of 12 from the foul line to get her 36 points. Chelby Koker had 17 points for the Huskies (11-18, 7-11 MAC).
“We tried to stay in front and make her not shoot 3's because that is the best thing she does,” Santucci said of Woods. “She got a couple calls on a couple fouls and she hit all of the free throws. She played a really good game, but I thought we could have done way better on her.”
The foul trouble came early for Toledo as Black picked up her second foul at the beginning of the second quarter, and Sara Rokkanen and Lockett also sat because of two first-half fouls.
“Not only Nakiah, but Sara Rokkanen and Quinesha Lockett had to sit during a bigger part of the first half,” Cullop said. “We got them all back, but then right within a minute of the third quarter, Nakiah picks up her third. All those hurt, but it's not exactly why we lost. We have a lot of other players.”
Despite the early foul trouble, the score at halftime was tied at 38. Northern Illinois went on a 7-0 run to end the third quarter to create some separation and take a 60-50 lead into the fourth.
Toledo cut the lead to six points on five occasions in the fourth quarter, but could not get any closer. Northern Illinois took advantage of its free throws, connecting on 23 of 26 in the game, while Toledo was just 13 of 22.
The Rockets will enter the MAC tournament having lost seven of its last eight games, with the lone win coming in a home upset of MAC champion Central Michigan.
“I think that is our strength — every time our back is against the wall we react in a really good way,” Santucci said. “I think knowing that if we win we keep going and if we lose we stop, it’s going to make us go harder. ... I think we are a really good team and we have good energy and focus. That’s what carried us through the season.”
Following the loss in the regular season finale, there will be a quick turnaround in a road trip to Akron on Monday. Toledo topped the Zips 65-61 at Savage Arena in the lone head-to-head meeting this season.
“Now we head to Akron,” Cullop said. “We have to regroup and get with it and we don't have much time to figure that out. I think the important thing is we not worry about this one too much.
“We learn from it, we move on and get some legs underneath us and get on a bus and get there. We have to be ready for a great game because Akron, from what I've seen on film, is playing really well right now.”
First Published March 8, 2020, 12:26 a.m.
