DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. --- Starr Jacobs poured in a season-best 29 points but it wasn't enough as the UT Arlington women's basketball team (2-4) was defeated 80-70 by the University of Toledo (4-2) inside the Ocean Center in the Daytona Beach Invitational finale on Saturday.
 
Jacobs finished a season-best .611 (11-for-18) from the field, as well as 7-of-9 from the foul line, while adding three assists, two rebounds and two steals. She has scored at least 15 points in five of six games this year and is averaging 19.5 points over the past four outings.
 
The duo of Kayla White (14) and Shyia Smith (10) combined for 24 points on a combined 9-for-16 shooting, while Kamaria Gipson had six points and a team-best seven rebounds in 12 minutes. Jireh Washington led the Lady Mavs with six assists while tying Smith with five boards, which was second-best on the team. Alexsyah Goudeau tied Jacobs for the team-high in steals with two.
 
Taleyah Jones registered her first career start for UT Arlington.
 
Toledo, which is the preseason favorite to win the Mid-American Conference this year, was led by Sammi Mikonowicz's 24 points, five rebounds and three steals. They also got 19 from Quinesha Lockett, 13 from Khera Goss and 12 from Jessica Cook.
 
Mikonowicz scored 10 of her 24 points in the opening quarter as the Rockets jumped out to a 21-15 lead despite a brilliant offensive rebound and putback from Washington at the buzzer. A layup from Smith with 44 seconds left in the half trimmed UTA's deficit to four, but a free throw from Goss helped Toledo to a 37-32 lead at the half.
 
Jacobs kept the Lady Mavs close in the third quarter by scoring 10 of the team's first 12 points but a pair of free throws by Mikonowicz in the final minute helped the Rockets take a 60-50 lead through three. A 10-2 run early in the fourth quarter pushed Toledo's lead to as many as 19. Despite a 3-pointer from White that trimmed the deficit to eight with 46 seconds left, Toledo's Mikonowicz finished off her big day with a layup in the final 30 seconds to give her team a double-digit victory.
 
UT Arlington will now return home for the first time since Nov. 12 when they host North Texas on Tuesday at 7 p.m. before heading back on the road for three straight, culminating in a matchup at Baylor on Dec. 7.
 
FOLLOW THE LADY MAVS 
For the latest news on UTA Women's Basketball, log on to UTAMavs.com or stay connected to the Lady Mavs on social media. Follow the Lady Mavericks on Twitter @UTAMavsWBB, on Instagram @UTAMavsWBB, and on Facebook at Facebook.com/UTAMavsWBB.