Rockets to Visit Rhode Island on Saturday; UT to Face Second-Straight Atlantic 10 Foe
11/23/2007 5:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Rockets will be looking to rebound from Wednesday's 76-70 setback at Dayton. Junior guard Tyrone Kent led the way for UT offensively with 24 points. Junior guards Jonathan Amos and Ridley Johnson also reached double digits with 20 and 10 points, respectively.
Toledo couldn't overcome a 10-minute stretch to end the first half that saw the Rockets limited to just two field goals.
Kent keyed the Rockets' rally late in the second half by knocking down three treys and also hitting three free throws in the final minute. The closest UT came in the closing moments was five points with 1:02 left on the clock after utilizing a full-court press to force back-to-back Flyer turnovers.
UT was able to cut into its 16-point halftime deficit early in the second half with a 13-4 run to come within 48-40 with 10:46 to play on an Amos trey. Kent brought the Rockets within 54-47 with a trey at the 7:28 mark but Dayton appeared to end any hopes of a UT comeback by scoring nine straight points for a 63-47 lead with 4:29 remaining.
Kent is leading the Rockets with 18.3 points per game with Amos also scoring in double figures at 14.5 points per contest. Junior forward Jerrah Young is leading UT with 6.3 rebounds per game in addition to ranking third on the team with 8.3 points per game.
Kent knocked down a career-high five treys against the Flyers to help UT post season highs in both three-point field goals (10) and three-point field-goal percentage (.400).
Rhode Island features a high-scoring offense (77.5 ppg) that is paced by senior forward Will Daniels' 19.2 points per game. Junior guard Jimmy Baron and sophomore Keith Cothran are also scoring in double digits with 14.3 and 10.5 points per game, respectively.
The Rams have topped the 70-point mark in all six games this season. URI is shooting 48.3 percent from the field and limiting its opponents to a 39.2 field-goal percentage.
Daniels tallied a game-high 25 points in Wednesday's 76-72 loss at Boston College. He made 11-of-20 field-goal attempts, including 2-of-5 from beyond the three-point arc, and also grabbed five rebounds, blocked three shots, and had two steals in 34 minutes.
Toledo (1-3) at Rhode Island (5-1)
WHEN:
Saturday, November 24, 7:00 p.m. EST.WHERE: Thomas M. Ryan Center (7,657), Kingston, RI.
TEAM RECORDS:
? Toledo (1-3, 0-0 MAC)
? Rhode Island (5-1, 0-0 Atlantic 10)
SERIES RECORD: Series tied, 1-1. Toledo will be making its first trip ever to Rhode Island. The last meeting between the schools resulted in a 66-55 Rams' win in Toledo.
ABOUT RHODE ISLAND: The Rams opened the season with five straight wins before dropping a 76-72 decision at Boston College on Wednesday. Senior forward Will Daniels leads URI with 19.2 ppg and also is averaging 6.8 rpg, 1.5 bpg and 1.2 spg.
COACHES:
? Stan Joplin, 193-139 at Toledo (12th year), same overall. vs. URI: 0-0
? Jim Baron, 92-96 at Rhode Island (7th year), 298-298 overall. vs. UT: 1-0
TV: None.
RADIO: WSPD (1370 AM) in Toledo. Rich Hoffer will handle play-by-play.
Internet: Rocket radio broadcasts can be heard on the world wide web at www.utrockets.com. UT's home games can also be seen live via RocketVision at www.utrockets.com.
