CLEVELAND -- Amber Tretter scored 23 points to help top-seeded Miami (Ohio) beat No. 6 seed Toledo 68-58 on Saturday to win the Mid-American Conference tournament title and clinch an NCAA tournament berth for the first time since 2008.
The win marks the second MAC championship in program history for the RedHawks and the first for third-year coach Glenn Box.
Tretter recorded her 31st career double-double and 10th of the season. Ilse de Vries added 17 points for Miami, while Amber Scalia scored 14 and Tamar Singer had 13.
Miami took control early, holding Toledo scoreless for more than seven minutes while building a 16-0 lead in the first quarter. The RedHawks led 28-16 at halftime as the Rockets posted their lowest-scoring half of the season.
Toledo (17-15) answered in the third quarter, outscoring Miami 24-19 to trim the deficit to seven entering the fourth. Patricia Anumgba, who came in averaging 24 points per game in the MAC tournament, led the rally and finished with 22 points and eight rebounds. She helped the Rockets cut the margin to 56-50 on a 3-pointer with 3:50 remaining.
Miami responded from there, though, as Singer converted a three-point play with 3:24 left and the RedHawks closed the game at the free throw line to seal the win.
Miami (28-6) defeated Toledo for the second time this season after a 63-55 win in their only regular-season meeting Jan. 3 in Oxford.
