MUNCIE, Ind. — The University of Toledo women’s basketball team recovered from a pair of sizable deficits — one in each half — to upend Ball State 58-55 in Mid-American Conference play on Wednesday.
The Rockets (13-3, 7-0 MAC), who won their seventh straight game, trailed by 15 points in the first quarter, and also nine points with 8:06 remaining in the game, only to come back each time.
Jayda Jansen scored seven of Toledo’s last 15 points to close out the victory, including a 3-pointer and, later, two pairs of free throws in the last 2:40. Her first two free throws brought the Rockets within 55-54, before Hannah Noveroske’s putback put UT ahead on the ensuing possession.
After another pair of Jansen free throws, Ball State’s Sydney Freeman missed two potential game-tying 3-pointers in the final eight seconds — the last with less than three seconds remaining.
Quinesha Lockett’s 14 points led Toledo, while she also had five rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block. Khera Goss also scored in double figures with 11 points and two steals.
Ball State jumped out to a 21-6 first-quarter edge, closing on a 7-0 run after building a 14-2 lead through four minutes.
The Rockets missed all six attempts from 3-point range and were 3-of-14 from the field in the first quarter.
Toledo flipped its fortune in the second quarter, as Goss spearheaded an offensive attack with nine points to help the Rockets outscore the Cardinals 14-7 and trim their halftime deficit to 28-20. Goss hit 4-of-4 field-goal attempts — including a 3-pointer — in the second quarter.
The Rockets got all the way over the hump in the third quarter, opening on a 12-2 run to take a 32-30 lead, capped by back-to-back buckets by Lockett and Sophia Wiard at the 6:53 mark.
Ball State found its groove again and outscored Toledo 15-8 the rest of the third to lead 45-40 entering the fourth.
Overall, Toledo shot 38.6 percent (22-of-57) from the floor, including 3-of-19 from 3-point range.
Chyna Latimer had a game-high 18 points for the Cardinals (9-7, 2-4).
First Published January 20, 2022, 1:56 a.m.
