Rockets Shot Down by Eagles in Regular-Season Finale, 79-75

Friday, March 4

Toledo, OH

7:00 PM

University of Toledo

17-14 (8-10MAC)

Eastern Michigan

17-14 (9-9MAC)

Eastern Michigan

TOLEDO

Senior center Nathan Boothe led UT with 26 points and eight rebounds in his final game in Savage Arena.

Photo by: Toledo Athletics

Rockets Shot Down by Eagles in Regular-Season Finale, 79-75

3/4/2016 10:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

TOLEDO, OH – Toledo concluded its regular season on Friday evening with a 79-75 home setback to Eastern Michigan. As a result, the Rockets (17-14, 8-10 MAC) will be the No. 9 seed in the 2016 Mid-American Conference Tournament and travel to Ypsilanti, MI to meet the No. 8-seeded Eagles (17-14, 9-9 MAC) in the first round on Monday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Senior center Nathan Boothe paced UT with 26 points and nine rebounds in addition to dishing out five assists in 35 minutes. Also scoring in double digits were junior guard Jonathan Williams (19 pts.) and freshman guard Jaelan Sanford (11 pts., team-high six assists).

Junior guard Raven Lee topped EMU's attack with 26 points. He was joined in double figures by junior guard Willie Mangum IV and sophomore guard Tim Bond with 13 points apiece with freshman center James Thompson IV contributing 12 points and eight rebounds.

The Rockets shot slightly better, 46.4-42.6, from the field than the Eagles and also held a significant advantage behind the three-point arc. UT knocked down 10-of-20 long-distance shots compared to EMU's 5-of-15 totals.

Eastern Michigan was able to offset the Rockets' shooting success with a 42-32 advantage on the boards, including a 24-13 margin in the second half. UT also committed 14 miscues, leading to a 16-10 EMU advantage in points off turnovers.

Toledo jumped out to an early 14-8 lead in the opening seven minutes thanks to seven points from Boothe. Junior forward Zach Garber's two free throws with 9:48 to play in the opening period gave UT its largest advantage, 20-13, in the first half at the 9:48 mark.

The visitors responded with a 9-0 run and took their first lead, 22-20, on Mangum's layup nearly three minutes later. Lee's jumper put the Eagles ahead, 29-26, 2:06 before the helf.

The Rockets ended the half with a 9-2 spurt thanks to a pair of Williams' treys and a Boothe three-point play for a 35-31 halftime cushion.

UT took its largest lead of the game, 43-34, on another Williams' three-point bomb with 17:21 to play. That breathing room was short-lived as Lee's five points keyed a seven-point burst to make it a two-point contest, 43-41, with 15:47 left.

Sanford's trey nearly three minutes later put the Rockets back up six, 48-42, but the Eagles' Brandon Nazione hit a jumper to cap off a 9-2 run to give EMU its first lead of the half.

Neither squad could gain a lead of more than three points until Eastern Michigan strung together six straight points for a 67-61 margin with 3:55 to play.

Toledo couldn't get closer than four points until Boothe's layup cut the Rockets' deficit to 75-72 with 10.3 seconds remaining. The Eagles made their final four free throws to secure the victory.