YPSILANTI, MI – Toledo pulled out a 60-56 road triumph over Eastern Michigan on Friday evening in its regular-season finale at the EMU Convocation Center. The Rockets' victory sends UT (16-15, 9-9 MAC) into the 2017 Mid-American Conference Tournament as the No. 7 seed with a first-round matchup looming against No. 10 seed Bowling Green (13-18, 7-11 MAC) in Savage Arena on Monday, March 6 at 8:00 p.m.

Senior guard Jordan Lauf tallied a career-high 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Rockets, while senior forward Steve Taylor, Jr. nearly registered a triple-double with 11 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. Senior guard Jonathan Williams also scored in double figures with 14 points and dished out five assists with just one turnover.

Senior guard Ray Lee was one of four Eagles to score in double figures and finished with a team-high 14 points. Sophomore center James Thompson IV also registered a double-double for EMU with 10 points and 14 boards.

Toledo shot 45.5 percent from the field and collected assists on 20 of their 25 made field goals. The Rockets limited Eastern Michigan to a 37.7 shooting mark.

The contest was a see-saw affair that featured 12 lead changes (eight in the second half) and six occasions when the score was tied. Toledo took the lead for good with a 6-0 burst for a 54-49 advantage with 4:22 to play. EMU had a chance to tie the score with 1:33 to play when senior guard Willie Mangum IV was fouled on a three-point shot but could only convert one of three free-throw attempts.

Lauf came up with a big putback on UT's next trip down the court to make it a two-possession game with 1:08 remaining.  The Rockets forced a turnover on EMU's ensuing possession and Williams knocked down a pair of free throws for a 58-52 cushion with 45.5 seconds to play. Sophomore forward Nate Navigato closed out the Midnight Blue and Gold's scoring with a pair of free throws at the 20.2 mark.

The first half featured a series of runs for both squads. After Toledo took an early 8-4 lead, the Eagles tallied eight straight points. Following a Lauf layup and a Sanford trey, the Eagles took an eight-point advantage, 24-16, with a 9-1 spurt. UT then responded with nine straight points to end the opening stanza with Navigato sinking a three-pointer right before the halftime buzzer for a 25-24 lead.


Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk post-game comments


Senior Jordan Lauf post-game comments