Toledo Opens Three-Game Homestand vs. North Alabama on Wednesday

Wednesday, November 28

Toledo, Ohio

7:00 p.m.

University of Toledo

North Alabama

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Freshman AJ Edu and the Rockets host North Alabama on Wednesday night.

Toledo Opens Three-Game Homestand vs. North Alabama on Wednesday

11/27/2018 3:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Game Notes (PDF)

TOLEDO, Ohio - Toledo (5-1) opens a three-game homestand in Savage Arena this week after winning the Gulf Coast Showcase title last week. The Rockets will host North Alabama (2-4) on Wednesday, Nov. 28 before hosting a pair of Horizon League foes, Cleveland State (2-5) on Saturday, Dec. 1 and Detroit Mercy (3-3) on Wednesday, Dec. 5.

        Senior Jaelan Sanford led Toledo to its GCS championship by averaging 17.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 3.0 apg in wins over FGCU (90-62), Louisiana (77-64) and UC-Irvine (67-60). Sanford earned tournament MVP honors and was joined on the all-tournament team by junior Luke Knapke. Sanford also earned a share of the MAC West Division Co-Player of the Week on Monday.

        North Alabama is in its first season of competing at the NCAA Division I level and is a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Lions' roster includes eight freshmen, one sophomore, two juniors and two seniors.

        UNA is 0-4 vs. NCAA Division I opponents with each of its losses coming on the road to Samford (91-74), at Saint Louis (69-58), Pittsburgh (71-66) and Troy (77-58). Freshman guard Jamari Blackmon leads the Lions with 16.3 ppg, 3.0 apg, 2.2 spg and an 87.9 FT%.

POST TOUCHES
•   Toledo's tournament title at the Gulf Coast Showcase was the Rockets' third under Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk.
•   Toledo ranks 17th nationally in both FT% (78.4) and three-point FG% (42.3). UT is one of three schools nationally to appear in the Top 20 in both categories, joining Northern Colorado (80.4 FT%, 42.3 3FG%) and South Dakota State (78.3 FT%, 42.8 3FG%).
•   Four Rockets rank in the MAC's Top 15 in three-point FG% — Luke Knapke (64.3/1st), Nate Navigato (48.4/7th), Chris Darrington (47.1/10th) and Spencer Littleson (43.8/14th).
•   Toledo ranks second in the MAC with 9.7 treys per game (just behind Buffalo's 9.8 mark) after placing third last year with 9.6 treys per game.
•   Senior guard Jaelan Sanford leads UT and is third in the MAC with 18.8 ppg. The Evansville, Ind. native ranks 14th on UT's all-time scoring list with 1,389 points after passing Nick Moore's total (1999-2003) of 1,384 points in UT's win over UC-Irvine (Nov. 21).
•   Junior center Luke Knapke leads the MAC with a 64.9 three-point FG% (9-of-14) and is second with a 64.3 FG% (24-of-37). Knapke scored a career-best 20 points at Wright State (Nov. 14) thanks to a 6-of-6 effort behind the three-point arc.
•   Sophomore guard Marreon Jackson ranks third in the MAC with 5.2 assists per game. Jackson averaged 9.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 3.7 apg in the Gulf Coast Showcase.
•   Junior forward Willie Jackson has three double-doubles this season and seven in 26 career games as a Rocket. Jackson, who is averaging 11.7 ppg and a team-high 9.3 rpg, also tallied double-doubles in last year's MAC Tournament vs. Eastern Michigan (career-high 18 pts.-10 reb.) in the semifinals and Buffalo (11 pts.-10 reb.) in the championship game.
•   Jackson ranks third in the MAC with 9.3 rpg and fifth with a 61.9 FG% (26-of-42).
•   Senior forward Nate Navigato ranks seventh in the MAC with a 48.4 3PTFG% (15-of-31). He is in third place on UT's career three-point field goal list with 239 treys and possesses an 87.5 FT% (7-of-8).
•   Navigato paced the MAC last year with 2.8 treys/game and ranked second with a 42.7 3PTFG%. He is tied for fourth this season with 2.5 treys/game.
•   Senior Chris Darrington comes off the bench with a 10.0 scoring mark. Darrington has a 50.0 FG% (16-of-32), a 47.1 three-point FG% (8-of-17) and a 76.9 FT% (20-of-26). He leads the Rockets in free throws made (20) and free throws attempted (26).

SOME TEAM STATISTICAL TIDBITS
•   Toledo has six different players shooting 76.9 percent or better from the free-throw line with each of those individuals making at least eight trips to the charity stripe.
•   Toledo is 8-2 in games decided by five points or less since the start of last season.
•   Toledo is undefeated in its five games when it has outrebounded its opponent.
•   Four or more Rockets have scored in double digits in five of six games.
•   The Rockets have registered a 50.0 field-goal percentage or higher in four of six contests.
•   UT has shot 75.0 percent or better from the free-throw line in five of six games.

ON THE HORIZON
Toledo will host a pair of Horizon League foes, Cleveland State (2-4) and Detroit Mercy (3-3), before traveling to Huntington, W. Va. on Saturday, Dec. 8 to battle Conference USA member Marshall (4-1).