CLEVELAND — The University of Toledo’s wake-up call came a few minutes too late.
The Rockets overcame a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime in Friday’s Mid-American Conference semifinals but went ice cold in the extra period, shooting 2 of 11, in a devastating 77-74 loss to Buffalo at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
It capped a disastrous two-day stretch in which the Toledo men and women failed to make the championship game after winning outright regular-season MAC titles.
“It’s crushing,” fourth-year junior Sammi Mikonowicz said. “I mean, you can imagine what it’s like to lose. But then especially just the run that we’ve had with this group of girls, knowing that with these two [Sophia Wiard and Quinesha Lockett] it’s the last time here for them.