TOLEDO, OH - Toledo rallied from a 10-point deficit with less than seven minutes remaining to give Head Coach Stan Joplin his 200th career victory in the Rockets' 54-52 win over Ohio. With the victory, the Rockets continued their Savage Hall dominance in Mid-American Conference play extending their conference homecourt win streak to 19 games.
UT also improved its record in MAC play to 5-6 and its overall record to 8-15 with the victory, while the Bobcats are now 7-4 in conference action and 16-8 overall.
Junior guard Tyrone Kent and senior forward Jerrah Young led the Rockets with 13 points apiece, with junior guards Jonathan Amos and Ridley Johnson adding 11 and 10 points, respectively. Senior guard Bubba Walther was the only Bobcat to score in double figures with 15 points.
With Toledo trailing 52-48 with 40 seconds remaining, Kent tipped in a Rocket miss and Amos added a layup following a Bobcat turnover to tie the score with 26 ticks on the clock. With UT pressing, Amos stole the ball giving the Rockets a chance to take the last shot. Kent was fouled before he could get that far and hit two free throws with eight seconds remaining. Walther then misfired on an off-balance three to end the game.
The Rockets outrebounded Ohio 19-12 in the second stanza and made 13 of 19 free throws to help make their comeback.
UT trailed 45-35 following a Jerome Tillman jumper with 6:43 to play but Kent began the Rockets' comeback with a dunk. Following a pair of free throws from Johnson, Young added another slam to bring UT within 45-41 with 4:44 remaining. Junior guard Anthony Byrd and Young then hit two free throws to tie the score at 45-45 with 3:12 left. After the teams traded baskets, UT took its first lead of the second half on an Amos free throw but Walther answered with a trey and Bert Whittington IV followed up with a layup to give the Bobcats a four-point cushion and set the stage for the Rockets' late-game heroics.
The Rockets head to Muncie, IN on Sunday, Feb. 17 to meet Ball State (4-19, 3-8) before beginning a four-game homestand next Wednesday vs. Northern Illinois. The Cardinals posted a 76-67 triumph at Buffalo this afternoon behind senior guard Peyton Stovall's 22-point effort.
