The Toledo Rockets held on for their first win of the season Tuesday, November 10, beating Youngstown State 64-60 in front of 4,128 fans on Education Day at Savage Arena, according to the University of Toledo’s official recap.
Toledo (1-2) sprinted out early, leading 16-10 after one quarter and building an 18-point lead at 31-13 midway through the second quarter, according to the university. The Rockets shot a season-best 41.5 percent from the field, including 64.3 percent in the second quarter.
Youngstown State (2-1) came all the way back. The Penguins trailed by nine at halftime and by 16 again in the third quarter before closing the period on a 12-0 run to cut Toledo’s lead to 46-42, according to Youngstown State’s official recap. Early in the fourth, YSU pulled within two points at 46-44 and again at 48-46.
Toledo answered when it had to. The Rockets pushed the lead back to eight at 57-49 with 4:25 to play and held a 63-57 advantage with just over a minute left, according to Youngstown State. Danielle Cameron banked in a 3-pointer to bring the Penguins within 63-60, but after a defensive stop, YSU mishandled the inbounds pass with 19 seconds left, and Reagan Wilson made one of two free throws to seal it.
Kendall Carruthers led Toledo with 15 points and three assists, according to the game recap published by Ball Exclusives. Evalyse Cole added 12 points, eight rebounds, three steals and three blocks, and Wilson chipped in 12 points off the bench.
The glass told much of the story. Toledo held a 45-35 edge in total rebounds and a 13-5 advantage in offensive boards, outscoring Youngstown State 15-2 in second-chance points, according to Youngstown State’s recap.
What happens next: Toledo finishes the week at home against Valparaiso on Sunday, November 15, with tipoff at 2 p.m. at Savage Arena on ESPN+ and the Rocket Radio Network, according to the University of Toledo. Youngstown State, now 2-1, travels to face Big 12 member Colorado on Saturday.
Photo: JonRidinger, CC BY-SA