UT falls in WNIT

University of Toledo senior guard Inma Zanoguera posted up for a trey with 1:32 to play Monday night against the University of Michigan in the second round of the WNIT.

Zanoguera eyed the basket. She took aim. She let loose.

And the shot sailed neatly past the basket.

Zanoguera finished with a team-high 14 points, a game-high six assists, five rebounds and two steals in UT’s 74-58 loss to the Wolverines. It was the Spanish native’s final game as a Rocket.

“It hasn’t hit me yet,” an emotional Zanoguera said after the game. “It’s probably going to take a couple weeks, maybe months.”

In a game that was fast-paced right out of the gate, Toledo jumped out to a couple quick leads. Michigan responded by deploying a full-court press to slow the Rockets down.

Toledo responded well, with freshman guard Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott breaking the press for a couple of three-pointers. Despite a few too many turnovers, the Rockets found themselves up 14-9 after the second media timeout.

Michigan didn’t go away easily, however, and Toledo’s turnovers caught up with them. The Rockets finished the first half with 11 turnovers and Michigan forward Cyesha Goree and her ten first-half points led the Wolverines to a 37-23 edge heading into halftime.

“They did a great job of pounding it in in the first half with Goree,” said Toledo Head Coach Tricia Cullop. “She did a great job scoring.”

Michigan ended the half on a 16-0 run, thanks in large part to guards Siera Thompson and Katelynn Flaherty.

“Flaherty just couldn’t miss tonight,” Cullop said. “We didn’t get a hand to her quick enough, but you’ve got to give her credit. She’s got a quick release and a beautiful shot.”

Flaherty didn’t miss a shot in the first half, going 6-for-6 from the field for 14 points.

“We knew from the get-go that she was a good shooter,” said UT junior captain Ana Capatosto. “We did give her some easy looks that you can’t give to a shooter of her caliber.

“She made us pay.”

Thompson also made big plays for Michigan, scoring 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.

For Toledo, the turnovers continued to mount. UT coughed up the ball 16 times in the game and also went the last six minutes of the first half without a basket.

“I think the biggest thing that hurt us was the turnovers from their pressure,” Cullop said. “It was kind of getting us out of sync.”

The Wolverines capitalized on the Rockets’ miscues, scoring 20 points off of turnovers and earning 13 second-chance points.

In a 19-point hole in the second half, Toledo went on a 9-0 run to energize their home crowd. It wasn’t enough, however, to bounce back against the Wolverines.

“I’m really proud of the fight in our team,” Cullop said. “For us to get down 20 and cut the lead to 10, I was really proud of the fight.”

Zanoguera scored 10 points, three boards and four assists in the second half, but even her effort came up short against Michigan.

“She’s been a joy to coach since day one,” Cullop said of Zanoguera. “She does anything you ask, just a class act.”

After another short Toledo run, Michigan responded with a couple of quick baskets from Flaherty, who finished with a game-high 25 points.

A trey from Thompson put the Wolverines up 16 with 3:24 left to play and all but sealed the Rockets’ fate.

Toledo ends the season with a 19-14 record.