Toledo’s women’s basketball team dropped to 0-2 on Saturday, falling 72-64 to Michigan State at Savage Arena as Spartans guard Kennedy Blair delivered the performance of the night. Blair finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double, the Lansing State Journal reported, leading Michigan State through its first road test of the season.
Blair shot 9-of-19 from the field, knocked down 10-of-14 free throws and added four assists as the Spartans improved to 2-0, according to the Lansing State Journal. Theryn Hallock joined her in double figures with 14 points and six rebounds for Michigan State, which won despite shooting just 35.29 percent from the field.
Jyah Lovett led the Rockets with 16 points, the Lansing State Journal reported. Toledo kept the game within single digits into the closing minutes but could not overcome Blair’s combination of scoring and rebounding, as the Spartans controlled enough key possessions down the stretch to protect the lead.
The loss comes early in a season that carries real expectations for the Rockets. Toledo was picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference, the Lansing State Journal noted — a projection that reflects a program accustomed to competing near the top of the league and defending its home floor at Savage Arena.
An 0-2 start is not the opening Toledo wanted, but the schedule offered little softness: a road-tested Big Ten opponent with a player in takeover form. Blair’s 28 points marked the kind of individual outing that can tilt an early-season game regardless of venue, and the Rockets saw firsthand the level required to beat power-conference visitors.
For Michigan State, the win supplies an early road credential. Winning away from home while shooting under 36 percent suggests a team that can lean on its defense, rebounding and free-throw shooting when the offense sputters — traits that travel well into conference play.
What happens next: Michigan State (2-0) returns home to host Oakland at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11, according to the Lansing State Journal. Toledo will look to regroup and chase its first win of the season after a demanding opening pair of games at Savage Arena.
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