GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, February 3, 2018.
Tip-Off: Noon.
Location: Akron, Ohio.
Arena: Rhodes Arena (5,500).
TV: CBS Sports Network.
Radio: Rocket Radio Network. WSPD (1370 AM) in Toledo.

SETTING THE SCENE
        Toledo (15-7, 7-2 MAC) looks to get back on the winning track on Saturday, Feb. 3 when it visits Mid-American Conference East Division foe Akron (10-11, 3-6 MAC). The Rockets saw their season-high seven-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday with a 75-63 home loss to Ball State. Akron is on a two-game skid following a 111-106 (2OT) loss at Ball State and a 79-64 setback at Miami. Tip-off time from Rhodes Arena is Noon with the game being televised live nationally on the CBS Sports Network.
        Toledo possesses a two-game lead in the Mid-American Conference's West Division over the Cardinals (14-8, 5-4 MAC) and Western Michigan (13-9, 5-4 MAC). The Rockets and Buffalo (16-6, 8-1 MAC) are the only two teams in the MAC with less than three defeats.
        In Tuesday's defeat against the Cardinals, the Rockets were limited to a conference season-low 63 points and 34.4 FG%. UT never held the lead in the contest and trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half. Toledo was able to rally within six points on three occasions in the second stanza but couldn't get any closer. Senior guard Tre'Shaun Fletcher led UT with 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
 
QUICK HITTERS
•   During its seven-game win streak, UT possessed an average margin of victory of 15.3 ppg and trailed for just 27 minutes and 26 seconds out of 280 minutes (9.0 percent).
•   Fletcher is the lone individual to appear in the MAC's Top 10 in points, rebounds and assists with 18.6 ppg (2nd), 8.5 rpg (3rd) and 4.2 apg (T-4th). Fletcher also tops the MAC in league play at 20.3 ppg.
•   Junior guard Jaelan Sanford ranks second on the team and sixth in the MAC with 16.5 ppg, while freshman guard Marreon Jackson is second with a 44.6 3PTFG% and fifth with a 1.9 assist/turnover ratio. Junior forward Nate Navigato is tied for second with 2.8 treys per game and fifth with a 43.0 3PTFG%. Sophomore center Luke Knapke is second with a 59.4 field-goal percentage and has an incredible 75.0 FG% (21-of-28) over the last four contests.
•   As a team, Toledo ranks 18th nationally (as of Jan. 30) with its 40.8 3PTFG% and also tops the MAC with its 47.3 FG% and 1.3 assist/turnover ratio. The Rockets are also second with 80.3 ppg, 15.8 apg and 9.9 three-point FGs per game.
•   The Rockets are 6-4 on the road this season and have won six of their last seven contests away from Savage Arena. UT's only loss during this stretch was a 104-94 loss at Buffalo (Jan. 2).
•   Akron is 10-1 at home this season with its lone defeat an 87-65 setback to Buffalo (Jan. 9). The Zips are winless in seven road games, including a 67-65 loss at Toledo (Jan. 5).
•   The trio of sophomore wing Daniel Utomi (15.1 ppg), graduate transfer guard Malcolm Duvivier (14.5 ppg) and junior guard Jimond Ivey (14.5 ppg) have combined to score 60.2 percent of the Zips' points.

TAKING A LOOK AT THE ROCKETS IN CONFERENCE PLAY
• Toledo leads the MAC in FG% (49.7), 3PTFG% (43.5) and three-point field goals per game (10.3) and ranks second in points (83.3) and assists (16.6 apg) per game, scoring margin ( 9.4), rebounding margin ( 2.6) and assist/turnover ratio (1.4).
• Tre'Shaun Fletcher ranks first in scoring at 20.3 ppg, and Jaelan Sanford is sixth at 17.3 ppg.
• Luke Knapke ranks second in field-goal percentage at 66.0 percent, while Sanford ranks second with an 88.9 free-throw percentage (32-of-36).
• Sanford is also second with a 3.5 assist/turnover ratio, and Fletcher is fifth with a 2.3 mark.
• Marreon Jackson is fifth with a 47.7 three-point field-goal percentage.
 
THREE-POINT PRODUCTION
        One of Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk's goals for the Rockets heading into the 2017-18 campaign was to increase their three-point field goals. Toledo has done just that this season by converting 218-of-534 attempts for a 40.8 conversion rate, a mark that sits at the top of the MAC and ranks 18th nationally (as of Jan. 31).
        UT's 9.9 treys per game rank second in the MAC as well and are well ahead of last year's average of 7.7 three-pointers per game. The Rockets posted a 36.2 3PTFG% last year.
        Toledo tied its season high with 14 three-point field goals at Central Michigan (Jan. 13), a mark that is tied for third-most in school history. The school record is 17 vs. Wright State on Dec. 22, 2003 with UT also hitting 16 vs. Marshall on Jan. 12, 2000.
        UT has tallied nine or more treys in 16 of 22 contests, including 14-of-25 totals vs. Saint Joseph's (Nov. 11), 14-of-32 totals at CMU (Jan. 13), 13-of-22 totals at Ohio (Jan. 16), 13-of-23 totals vs. WMU (Jan. 9) and 13-of-28 totals at WMU (Jan. 23).
 
THREE-POINT SUCCESS ON THE ROAD
        Toledo's three-point conversion rate is nearly 10 percentage points better away from Savage Arena. The Rockets have a 45.8 3PTFG% on the road and a 36.4 mark at home.
        Tre'Shaun Fletcher is UT's top three-point shooter on the road at 50.0% (21-of-42) with Marreon Jackson (47.7%, 21-of-44) and Nate Navigato (46.4%, 32-of-69) close behind. Luke Knapke is UT's top three-point threat at home at 47.6% (10-of-21) followed by Jackson (41.7 (20-of-48).