TOLEDO, Ohio- In a game that featured 12 lead changes and the scored tied eight times, Toledo made a late run to put away Western Michigan Wednesday night at Savage Arena, 67-57.

The loss was the Broncos' third straight and the team will look to regroup as it fights for positioning in the upcoming Mid-American Conference Tournament over the remaining three games of the regular season.

Western Michigan did a good job taking Toledo's best shot and bouncing back in the first half. UT had opened a 21-9 lead over the first 11 minutes before the Broncos clawed their way back with a 14-2 run.

The charge was largely led by the WMU bench, as sophomore back-up point guard Meredith Shipman ran the offense and senior forward Michelle O'Brien scored six of the first eight points during the run. Western Michigan even took a three-point lead with 1:56 left in the first. The game was deadlocked 28-28 heading into halftime.

The first 12 minutes of the second half was a back-and-forth battle. The lead exchanged hands a number of times, as one team would go up on the other as a basket was scored, but neither side led by more than three points. Toledo finally pulled away with a 12-3 run to create a 53-46 lead with 5:41 left in the game. Unlike the first half, Western Michigan didn't have another rally to fall back on.

“This was the third game in a row where between the 10-minute mark and the 5-minute mark of the second half we couldn't do anything right,” said WMU head coach Shane Clipfell. “It started with defensive rebounding and then we would foul and put them at the line.

“We have to solve that, we have been in that situation far too many times and have not responded appropriately. Overall our defense was good enough to give us a chance to win but we have to be able to score more points.”

Western Michigan took 20 more field goal attempts than Toledo, however shot just 31.9 percent (23-for-73). The Rockets shot 44.2 percent in the game, going 23-for-52 from the floor.

Free throws were also a key factor in UT's win, as Toledo was 18-for-27 from the line, while WMU made just 10 trips to the stripe and downed six.

Miracle Woods was the only Bronco to score in double figures, totaling 14 points and seven rebounds. O'Brien and A.J. Johnson each finished with eight points. Shipman tied two career highs with five assists and three steals. She also had four points and four rebounds.

Toledo was led by Brenae Harris with a career-high 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting. Inma Zanoguera and Ana Capotosto chipped in 14 points apiece.

UT pulled even with WMU in second place in the MAC West standings after the win and both teams have identical 16-10 overall, 9-6 conference records. The Rockets hold the tie-breaker over the Broncos for tournament seeding, sweeping this year's two game series against the Broncos.

Western Michigan hosts West leader Ball State (15-11, 11-4 MAC) Saturday at 2 p.m. The Bronco men's team follow the women's game as part of a doubleheader, taking on Eastern Michigan.