TOLEDO, OH – Toledo gave its fans an early Christmas present on Tuesday evening with a 74-70 victory over a red-hot Loyola (IL) squad in Savage Arena. The Rockets (6-6) snapped the Ramblers' five-game winning streak and dropped their visitors' overall record to 10-3 this season.
 
Senior guard Jonathan Williams paced the Rocket attack with 24 points, including a big trey from the corner that put UT up 72-67with 42 seconds remaining. Joining Williams in double digits were senior guard Jordan Lauf (11 pts.), sophomore guard Jaelan Sanford (11 pts.) and senior forward Steve Taylor Jr. (10 pts.).
 
Lauf and Taylor each registered double-doubles with a career-high 13 and 10 rebounds, respectively, to help the Rockets dominate the glass by a 36-25 margin. UT limited the Ramblers to just three offensive rebounds and two second-chance points.
 
Junior forward Aundre Jackson topped Loyola offensively with 22 points.
 
Toledo shot 50.9 percent from the field and 40.0 percent (6-of-15) from three-point range, while Loyola posted a 46.4 FG% and 45.0 3PTFG% (9-of-20). UT enjoyed a slight edge at the charity stripe, knocking down 14-of-19 of its attempts compared to the Ramblers' 9-of-12 totals.
 
The Rockets seized control early in the first half after the lead changed hands seven times in the opening four minutes. Toledo put together a 19-0 run over a span of 8:20 to take a 27-11 lead with 7:45 to play in the first half. The Ramblers managed to climb back within as few as seven points, 31-24, but a Williams' layup late in the opening stanza gave the Midnight Blue and Gold a 41-30 cushion at intermission.
 
Loyola rallied to within 49-44 just over five minutes into the second half but a Sanford layup followed by two more Williams' lay-ins restored UT's double-digit lead to 55-44 with 12:50 left. Back-to-back treys from the Ramblers' Milton Doyle and Clayton Custer cut the visitors' deficit to 60-56 with 5:45 remaining but Williams answered with a three-pointer of his for a 65-58 Toledo lead.
 
The closest Loyola came the rest of the way was two points on two different occasions. With UT leading 67-65, Taylor grabbed an offensive board and converted a putback with 2:07 left. Doyle then answered with a layup of his own before Sanford set up Williams for his decisive trey in the final minute.
 
The Rockets will now take a short holiday break before returning to action on Friday, Dec. 30 against Ohio Christian. Tip-off time from Savage Arena is set for 7:00 p.m.