Akron, OH – Toledo nearly put an end to Akron's lengthy homecourt winning streak in Rhodes Arena on Tuesday evening, but the Rockets let an 11-point lead midway through the second half slip away in a 71-65 setback to the Zips. The victory extended Akron's unbeaten home stretch to 30 games and also ended UT's four-game winning streak in the series.

Senior forward Steve Taylor, Jr. led the Rockets (13-13, 6-7 MAC) with 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds to register his 18^th double-double of season. Also scoring in double digits was sophomore forward Nate Navigato (13 pts.), senior guard Jonathan Williams (12 pts., season-high seven assts.) and senior guard Jordan Lauf (11 pts.).

The Zips (22-4, 12-1 MAC) were paced by senior forward Kwan Cheatham Jr. (21 pts., 10 reb.) and senior center Isaiah Johnson (18 pts., 7 reb.). That duo keyed Akron's comeback by scoring 26 of its first 31 points in the second stanza.

Toledo held a slight 43.4-41.3 advantage in the shooting department, despite hitting just 34.6 percent of its shots in the second half after registering a 51.9 mark before intermission. Akron knocked down 11-of-31 three-point attempts (35.5%) compared to the Rockets' 9-of-24 totals (37.5%).

Akron controlled the glass by a 40-36 margin thanks to a 26-18 cushion in the second half.

The first half was a see-saw affair that featured seven lead changes and seven occasions when the score was tied. UT was able to gain some breathing room late in the half when a 7-0 spurt put the Rockets in front by a 35-30 margin 1:42 before halftime. Junior guard Jimond Ivey answered with a trey with 20 seconds left, but Lauf's layup sent the Rockets to the locker room with a 37-33 advantage.

Back-to-back Navigato treys expanded Toledo's margin to 49-38 with 10:36 remaining but Cheatham's three-point play on Akron's next possession triggered a 15-3 spurt for a 53-52 lead at the 6:11 mark. Sophomre guard Jalean Sanford knocked down a trey 30 seconds later to put the Rockets back in front, 55-53, but that was the last lead UT would enjoy.

Ivey and Cheatham followed with back-to-back treys, and Johnson continued the Zips' run with a layup and a three-point play for a 64-55 advantage with 2:49 to play.

Toledo tried to rally and cut the hosts' lead to 67-63 with 1:03 left after two Williams' free throws and a Lauf layup. Johnson then missed a front end of a one-and-one but Williams' layup attempt didn't fall. The Zips followed by hitting four straight free throws to secure the victory.

UT returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 18 when it travels to DeKalb, IL for a matchup at Northern Illinois. Tip-off time is set for 3:30 p.m. (CT).


Coach Kowalczyk's Post-Game Comments vs. Akron


Steve Taylor Jr.'s Post-Game Comments vs. Akron