Toledo pulls away in too-close-for-comfort win over Mercyhurst

Toledo’s Evalyse Cole shoots a layup during a game against Mercyhurst at Savage Arena on Friday.It wasn’t easy, but it’s been that way all season for the University of Toledo.

The Rockets finally dispatched Mercyhurst, 70-66, after a closer-than-expected 40-minute battle royale.

A horrible sequence of Mercyhurst 3, UT turnover, Mercyhurst 2, UT turnover put the Rockets in a 66-62 hole with less than four minutes remaining.

But Toledo played the final 3:14 with suffocating defense, as Mercyhurst missed its final six shots and got outscored 8-0.

Toledo trailed 18-10 as it turned the ball over six times in the first quarter and Mercyhurst shot 54.5 percent, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range.…