QUICK HITTERS
•  Toledo (4-1) looks to become the first Mid-American Conference program to win the Great Alaska Shootout tonight when it meets Middle Tennessee (3-1) in the championship game. The Rockets advanced to the title contest with an 82-74 win over Loyola (IL), while the Blue Raiders edged UNC Asheville by a 63-61 margin.
•  Tonight's matchup against Middle Tennessee will tip off at 8:30 p.m. AST (12:30 a.m. EST) and be televised live on the CBS Sports Network.
•  The last in-season tournament Toledo won was the 2000 Energia Systems Tournament in Kansas City, MO. UT posted victories over SE Missouri State (59-43), Auburn (95-90 in 2OT) and Creighton (61-57) to win the title.
•  Five Rockets scored in double digits in last night's victory over Loyola with junior guard Jonathan Williams leading the way with 20 points (18 in second half). Sophomore guard Stuckey Mosley added 18 points and a game-high eight rebounds and five assists. Senior center Nathan Boothe dished out a game-best seven assists to go along with his 12 points and six rebounds.
•  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 89-79 record on the Rocket bench, including an 85-51 (.625) 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.
•  Williams leads UT as well as the MAC with 19.2 ppg with Boothe ranking second at 18.8 ppg. Sophomore guard Stuckey Mosley (14.8 ppg) and freshman guard Jaelan Sanford (10.4 ppg) are also scoring in double digits.
•  Toledo ranks sixth nationally with its MAC-best 1.98 assist/turnover ratio, 14th with 19.4 apg and 22nd for fewest turnovers per game (9.8). The Rockets also top the MAC with 85.8 ppg and a 49.7 FG%.
•  On an individual basis, Boothe and Mosley are the top two defensive rebounders in the MAC with 7.6 rpg and 6.6 rpg, respectively. Boothe, Mosley and Williams also rank fourth, fifth and sixth in the MAC in FG% with 56.8, 53.8 and 48.1 marks, respectively. Mosley ranks second in the MAC with a 92.9 FT%.
• Toledo and Middle Tennessee have met twice before with each meeting coming at neutral sites. The Blue Raiders notched a 70-65 win over UT in the opening round of the 2004 San Juan Shootout. The Rockets followed up with a 75-69 (OT) victory in the consolation bracket of the 2006 Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.