TERRE HAUTE, IN ? Toledo's road woes continued on Saturday afternoon in a 69-62 setback at Missouri Valley Conference foe Indiana State. The non-conference contest was played before 3,385 fans at the Hulman Center as part of the seventh-annual ESPNU Bracketbuster event.
The Rockets (5-22, 3-9 MAC) are now winless in 14 road tilts this season, while the Sycamores (9-19, 6-10 MAC) have won five straight games for their longest winning streak in two seasons.
“We had our opportunities today but we just couldn't string positive plays together,” Toledo Head Coach Gene Cross said. “Indiana State did the things it needed to win, whether it was knocking down free throws or hitting a big three-pointer. There were stretches where we did play well, but we didn't play with the consistency you need to be successful.”
Senior G Tyrone Kent led UT with 16 points and nine rebounds, while senior G Jonathan Amos tallied 15 points and a team-high five assists. Sophomore F Mohamed Lo also was in double figures with 12 points and also registered six rebounds and three blocked shots.
Senior F Jay Tunnell paced a balanced Sycamore attack with a game-high 17 points, including a 7-for-7 performance from the free-throw line. Junior G Harry Marshall added 16 points and five assists. Junior G Rashad Reed and freshman G Jordan Printy chipped in with 15 and 13 points, respectively.
Toledo held a commanding 36-24 advantage in the rebounding department, but ISU overcame that by making 20-of-23 (.870) of its free throws and committing six fewer turnovers than the Rockets.
After trailing by a 32-24 margin at halftime, the Sycamore appeared to break the game open as Printy buried two treys to key an 8-2 burst to start the second half. The Rockets answered right back though with five straight points to keep their deficit in single digits.
UT climbed to within seven points, 47-40, with just under 11 minutes to play when Amos converted one of two free throws. The Rockets closed to within seven points on two more occasions over the next five minutes, but ISU came up with an answer each time. Toledo had a chance to close within five points with just over four minutes to play but turned the ball over.
The first half was marked by runs from both teams after a feeling-out period in the early stages of the contest. Indiana State utilized a 7-2 spurt to take a 13-6 advantage six minutes into the contest. With UT trailing 17-11, sophomore F Justin Anyijong knocked down a trey and broke free for a layup to make it a one-point ballgame, 17-16, eight minutes before intermission.
ISU answered right back though with eight consecutive points and held the Rockets scoreless for five-and-a-half minutes. Amos then brought UT within three, 25-22, with a basket and two nice dishes to freshman G Clayton Sterling and Lo. The hosts closed out the half with a 7-2 run to take an eight-point cushion into the locker room at halftime
Toledo returns back to conference action on Wednesday, Feb. 25 when it travels to Ypsilanti, MI to face Eastern Michigan. The Rockets posted a 69-57 victory over the Eagles in their first meeting this season on Jan. 17.
