TOLEDO -- The Wayne State University women's basketball team (6-3 overall) fell 75-63 at the University of Toledo (4-5 overall) on Wednesday evening in Savage Arena.  The game was an exhibition for WSU, but was a countable contest for UT.

HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST QUARTER
The Warriors nearly grabbed a lead before the start of the contest due to a technical foul that was assessed to the Rockets, leading to a Wayne State free throw try.  The Green and Gold missed the attempt at the charity stripe.

WSU eventually began the game's scoring, by way of a Jaci Tubergen (Hudsonville, Mich. / Hudsonville [Bowling Green]) lay-in followed by a Taylor Thompson (Grand Blanc, Mich.) bucket to make the score 4-0.  Toledo rattled off nine straight points to take a 9-4 advantage, but a quick pair of buckets from Gabi Lutchka (Grass Lake, Mich.) and Thompson brought the Warriors within one (9-8).

UT pushed the margin to five (13-8), but long-range jumpers by Koko Sylvester (Toledo, Ohio / Start) and Lutchka placed the Warriors in front 14-13.  The triple from Sylvester was her first of the year.

An old-fashioned three-point play both ways made it 17-16 in favor of the guests.  With two seconds remaining in the frame, Annabel Ayrault (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) connected on an attempt to extend WSU's lead to three points after the first stanza.

SECOND QUARTER
A Karrington Gordon (Lincoln Park, Mich. / Lincoln Park [Central Michigan]) lay-up and triple sandwiched around a Toledo bucket advanced WSU's advantage to 24-18.

A 20-6 run for the Rockets, including eight from Kendall Carruthers, gave the hosts a 38-30 advantage heading into the half-time break.  Sylvester tallied four points while Ferguson had a pair during the stretch.

THIRD QUARTER
An 8-4 scoring spurt brought the Green and Gold within four points (42-38) with just under eight minutes remaining in the third stanza.  The Rockets responded with a 9-6 run of their own for a 51-44 advantage at the 5:04 mark.  

Only seven more points would be tallied for the final five minutes (five for Toledo, two for Wayne State), with UT holding a 56-46 lead with 10 minutes to play.

FOURTH QUARTER
The final quarter opened in a back-and-forth fashion, with each squad notching 11 points in the first 5:39, with Toledo leading 67-57.  At the 3:33 mark, the Rockets secured their largest lead of the contest, leading by 13 (70-57).  A pair of points for Lutchka, Thompson, and freshman AJ Rickli (Mattawan, Mich. / Paw Paw), along with five free throws from the home team closed the game, with WSU falling 75-63.

TEAM STATISTICS
The Rockets shot nearly 51 percent from the floor (27-of-53) including 6-of-13 from deep (46.2 percent), compared to 43.3 percent from the floor for the Warriors (26-of-60).  Toledo won the battle of the boards 38-23 and dished out 17 assists to Wayne State's 13.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Lutchka tallied a team-best 19 points, while hauling in four rebounds, and corralling three steals.  Ferguson added 12 points, five steals, and three assists.  Rickli tied a career best with six points.  Gordon produced the most helpers, with four, and scored nine points.

LEADING THE ROCKETS
Kendall Carruthers had a game-high 20 points, and added four boards and three assists.  Faith Fedd-Robinson hauled in a game-high eight rebounds, to go with 16 points and a trio of assists.

UP NEXT
The Green and Gold will return to the WSU Fieldhouse to host the University of Findlay on Saturday, December 20, for the squad's final game of the calendar year.  Tip-off is slated for 1:00 PM.