CLEVELAND — Was a quarterfinal squeaker a sign of things to come for Toledo?
Or will the Rockets right the ship and cruise into Saturday’s Mid-American Conference championship game? The answer will be known early on Friday.
It was last year’s semifinals when UT’s NCAA tournament dreams were dashed. The memory is never far away and it will be front and center against Kent State, a team that Toledo has struggled with in two games this season.
Does Tricia Cullop want a good all-around performance? Yes. Will she settle for three straight heart-pounding wins? Yes.
The next two steps to the Big Dance will not be easy. On Wednesday, Quinesha Lockett said it’s all about toughness and effort at this time of year.
How badly do the Rockets want it?
BASICS
■ Who: No. 1 seed Toledo (26-4) vs. No. 4 seed Kent State (21-9)
■ Where: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland
■ When: Friday, March 8, 10 a.m.
■ Streaming: ESPN Plus
■ Radio: WSPD 1370 AM
■ Follow: Kyle Rowland
PROJECTED STARTERS
■ Toledo: Quinesha Lockett (18.0 ppg), Sammi Mikonowicz (10.3 ppg), Sophia Wiard (10.2 ppg), Khera Goss (8.01 ppg), Jessica Cook (7.0 ppg).
■ Kent State: Katie Shumate (12.0 ppg), Lindsey Thall (11.3 ppg), Corynne Hauser (9.6 ppg), Casey Santoro (8.8 ppg), Hannah Young (7.4 ppg).
SCOUTING REPORT
If Toledo plays like it did against Buffalo, the Rockets will bow out of the MAC tournament in the semifinals for a second consecutive season. One would assume they won’t be near as tight and that UT will perform better offensively.
Kent State, however, has other thoughts. The Golden Flashes only allow 61.5 points per game. They surrendered 77 points and 64 points to Toledo this season. One week ago, the Rockets had to overcome a 14-point second-half deficit to beat Kent State.
The Golden Flashes have come close, but haven’t been able to get over the hump against the top three seeds, going 0-5 against UT, Bowling Green, and Ball State.
Katie Shumate — the sister of Toledo men’s basketball player JT Shumate — is Kent State’s leading scorer, with 12.0 points per game. She had 15 in the first half against Northern Illinois in the MAC quarterfinals.
PREDICTION
Kent State is not an easy draw. The Golden Flashes haven’t beaten any of the MAC’s top dogs this season, but they’ve come close, especially against Toledo. Katie Shumate is a deadeye shooter, Lindsey Thall is an All-MAC talent, and the supporting cast has depth.
What Kent State doesn’t have is Lockett, the MAC player of the year. For as poorly as Wiard shot the ball Wednesday, it’s hard to imagine a repeat performance Friday. It wouldn’t be shocking to see her score 15 points.
Role players often wilt in pressure situations, but in UT’s overtime thriller against Buffalo, the bench stood tall, as Jayda Jansen and Nan Garcia kept the Rockets afloat and hit some of the most important shots of the game. If Toledo’s bench production is similar the rest of the tournament, cutting down the nets on Saturday seems likely. Toledo, 71-62.
WARM-UP READING
Lockett, Jansen help Toledo women's basketball escape Buffalo in MAC quarterfinal
Briggs: NCAA tournament committee better not sleep on this special Toledo women's team
Last year's Ball State loss still haunts, motivates Toledo women's basketball
All-MAC women's basketball: Toledo's Cullop, Lockett collect top awards
The Blade's predictions for the 2023 MAC women's basketball tournament
Ready to rock: Scouting reports for area college basketball teams in 2023 MAC tournament
First Published March 10, 2023, 11:00 a.m.
