TOLEDO, Ohio - Toledo (9-1) returns to action following a week-long break for final exams when it hosts Middle Tennessee (3-7) on Saturday, Dec. 15. The Rockets have won seven straight contests but nearly saw their unbeaten stretch come to an end last Saturday in a 75-74 (OT) victory at Marshall.
        Senior Jaelan Sanford's three-pointer sent the game to overtime before sophomore Marreon Jackson bounced in a floater with two seconds left in the extra session for the win.
        Sanford paced the Rockets with 20 points. He was joined in double figures by Marreon Jackson (13 pts.), junior Willie Jackson (12 pts.) and freshman AJ Edu (season-high 11 pts.).
        Toledo jumped out to a 20-4 lead at Marshall and led the Thundering Herd, 48-28, with 17:48 to play. Marshall took its first lead, 57-55, with just under six minutes left and led 65-60 with 1:13 to play. Sanford scored the final five points to tie the game
        Middle Tennessee enters tonight's contest on a six-game losing streak with each defeat during this stretch coming by double digits. Junior Antonio Green is the lone Blue Raider scoring in double digits with 18.5 points per game and a 90.3 FT%.
 
POST TOUCHES
•   Toledo's 9-1 start is its best since winning its first 12 games in 2013-14 season.The Rockets' 90.0 winning percentage is tied for 11th nationally (as of Dec. 12).
•   UT ranks seventh nationally (as of Dec. 12) with its 78.4 FT%. The Rockets also rank in the Top 30 nationally in 3PTFGs per game (10.4/15th), assists per game (17.9/21st) and defensive rebounds per game (29.5/27th).
•   UT leads the MAC in FT% (78.4), 3PTFG% (39.0) and three-point field goals per game (10.4) and is second in scoring defense (67.1), FG% defense (40.3) and 3PTFG% defense (30.0).
•   Toledo is 9-2 in games decided by five points or less since the start of last season.
•   Six of UT's nine wins have been by 11 points or more. The Rockets' scoring margin of plus-15.9 ranks second in the MAC behind Buffalo's plus-18.9 mark.
•   Jaelan Sanford has connected for a three-point field goal in each of UT's first 10 games, including a season-high four at Marshall (Dec. 8). Sanford ranks fourth and sixth in the MAC with an 84.0 FT% and a team-high 17.5 ppg, respectively. The Evansville, Ind. native ranks 14th on UT's all-time scoring list with 1,451 points and seventh with 204 career treys.
•   Nate Navigato leads the MAC with 3.3 treys per game and ranks third with a 50.8 three-point FG%. He also ranks second in the MAC as well as 13th nationally with a 4.1 assist/turnover ratio.
•   Navigato has connected for three or more three-pointers in eight of 10 games and has hit a season-high five three-pointers on four occasions.
•   Willie Jackson is tied for seventh nationally with six double-doubles and has 10 in 30 career games as a Rocket. Jackson ranks second in the MAC and 16th nationally with 10.3 rpg.
•   Three Rockets rank in the MAC's Top 10 in 3PTFG% — Nate Navigato (50.8/3rd), Luke Knapke (48.0/6th) and Chris Darrington (45.2/10th).
•   Marreon Jackson is tied for second in the MAC with 5.0 assists per game.
•   Luke Knapke ranks third in the MAC with an 84.6 FT% (22-of-26), sixth with a 48.0 three-point FG% (12-of-25) and 11th with a 56.9 FG%.
•   Chris Darrington comes off the bench with a 10.0 scoring mark and is one of five Rockets scoring in double digits. Darrington has a 45.2 three-point FG% (14-of-31) and an 81.0 FT%. He leads the Rockets in free throws made (34) and free throws attempted (42).

A FEW MORE TEAM STATISTICAL TIDBITS
•   Toledo's streak of not allowing more than 70 points ended at six games on Saturday with its 75-74 (OT) win at Marshall. That was the first time Toledo had achieved that feat since a six-game streak from Jan. 21-Feb. 7, 2015.
•   Toledo has six different players shooting 77.8 percent or better from the free-throw line with each of those individuals making at least 10 trips to the charity stripe.
•   Toledo is undefeated in its eight games that it has outrebounded its opponent.
•   Four or more Rockets have scored in double digits in nine of 10 games.
•   UT has shot 75.0 percent or better from the free-throw line in eight of 10 games.
•   At least five different Rockets have made three-point field goals in eight of 10 games. The only times that didn't occur was vs. Wilberforce (Nov. 10) and Cleveland State (Dec. 1).
•   UT has registered a season-high 10 steals in two of its last three games. Eight Rockets registered a theft vs. Cleveland State (Dec. 1) and Willie Jackson led the way with a career-high four steals vs. Marshall.
•   The Rockets have won their first four home games for a second-straight season, the first time UT has done so since winning all 15 home contests in its 2013-14 campaign.
•   Toledo's win over Marshall matched the Rockets' longest win streak from last year of seven games. The last time UT won eight or more in a row was its 12-game streak in '13-14.