Rockets Look to Avenge Only Loss in Rematch vs. Loyola

Friday, November 27

Anchorage, AK

9:30 pm

University of Toledo

Loyola (IL)

Photo by: Sam Wasson/UAA Athletics

Rockets Look to Avenge Only Loss in Rematch vs. Loyola

11/27/2015 6:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball

QUICK HITTERS
• Toledo (3-1) looks to avenge its 69-62 road defeat to Loyola (IL) (4-1) six days ago) when it faces the Ramblers in the semifinals of the 2015 Great Alaska Shootout on Friday, Nov. 27. The Rockets' contest against Loyola will tip off at 9:30 p.m. EST and be televised on a tape-delayed basis at Midnight EST on the CBS Sports Network.
• The winner of Friday's UT-LU matchup will play either Middle Tennessee (2-1) or UNC Asheville (2-3) in the tournament's championship game on Sunday, Nov. 29 at 12:30 a.m. EST. The loser will face the Blue Raiders or Bulldogs in the third-place game on Saturday, Nov. 28 at 9:30 p.m. EST.
• In Toledo's loss to Loyola on Nov. 21, the Rockets let an 18-point first-half lead slip away. Senior center Nathan Boothe poured in a career-high 29 points to go along with 11 boards, but that wasn't enough to offset junior guard Milton Doyle's red-hot shooting. Doyle hit 8-of-9 shots, including all six he took from three-point range, en route to a 25-point performance.
• Boothe and junior guard Jonathan Williams propelled the Rockets to an 89-74 win over San Jose State in Wednesday's quarterfinal round. Boothe tallied the first triple-double in UT history with 12 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists, while Williams poured in a career-best 26 points and tied his career high with six helpers.
• Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk is in his sixth season at UT's helm and has orchestrated a dramatic turnaround since his arrival in 2010. He possesses an 88-79 record on the Rocket bench, including an 84-51 (.622) win-loss ledger over the last five years.
• Kowalczyk has guided Toledo to a share of the 2013-14 Mid-American Conference regular season title in addition to a piece of the 2012-13 MAC West Division title.
• Boothe, who is playing his 100th career game as a Rocket vs. Loyola, leads UT as well as the MAC with 20.5 ppg. Joining Boothe in double figures are Williams (19.0 ppg.) and sophomore guard Stuckey Mosley (14.0 ppg).
• Loyola captured the CBI title last year and posted a 24-13 win-loss mark. The Ramblers' only defeat this season is a 75-51 decision at New Mexico (Nov. 18).
• Junior guard Milton Doyle leads LU with 15.6 ppg, 3.4 apg and 0.8 bpg. He also has a team-best .474 3PTFG% (9-of-19). Joining Doyle in double figures are senior guards Devon Turk (13.8 ppg) and Earl Peterson (12.0 ppg).
• Toledo leads the all-time series vs. Loyola by a 16-15 margin but has dropped the last six meetings in the series. Three of the Rockets' defeats against the Ramblers during that stretch have come in the 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2015-16 seasons.

ROCKET ROUNDUP FROM SAN JOSE STATE
• Toledo won its first-ever meeting against San Jose State.
• Toledo has committed fewer turnovers than its opponent in every game this season and has 11 or fewer miscues in each contest. UT ranks third nationally with a 2.1 assist/turnover ratio.
• The Rockets have outrebounded their opponent in three of four games this season. Loyola is the only team to win the battle of the boards against UT.
• UT shot a season-low 41.7 percent (5-of-12) from the free-throw line.
• Toledo has buried 10 or more three-point field goals in three of four games this season.
• Senior Nathan Boothe dished out a career-high 10 assists to go along with 12 points and and a season-best 13 rebounds to register Toledo's first-ever triple-double.
• Junior Jonathan Williams scored a career-high 26 points, connected on a season-high four three-point field goals (in eight attempts) and tied his career best with six assists. He has scored 15 or more points in each of Toledo's first four games.
• Sophomore Stuckey Mosley tallied a career-high 19 points and has shot 50 percent or better in UT's first four games. He knocked down 8-of-14 shots against the Spartans and dished out four assists with just one turnover in 31 minutes.
• Junior Jordan Lauf scored a season-high nine points and grabbed a season-best seven rebounds in 26 minutes.
• Junior Zach Garber grabbed a team-high five offensive rebounds and leads the Rockets with seven offensive boards this season.
• Freshman Taylor Adway scored a season-high six points in 13 minutes.