Muncie, Ind. – A short-handed Toledo squad was hampered by early foul trouble on Saturday en route to a 99-71 setback to Ball State in Worthen Arena.

The defeat snapped the Rockets' five-game road winning streak and dropped UT's record to 19-8 overall and 11-3 in Mid-American Conference action. Toledo still remains two games in front of the Cardinals (18-9, 9-5 MAC) in the MAC's West Division and trails Buffalo (20-7, 12-2 MAC) by a game in the overall standings.

Sophomore center Luke Knapke came off the bench to score a team-high 17 points before fouling out after playing just 17 minutes. Joining Knapke in double figures was senior guard Tre'Shaun Fletcher with 15 points and junior forward Nate Navigato with 12 points. UT's second-leading scorer, Jaelan Sanford, was limited to five points in 22 minutes after being whistled for two offensive fouls in the game's first two minutes. The Rockets' starting point guard, freshman Marreon Jackson, also did not dress after suffering a knee injury vs. Ohio last Tuesday.

Junior guard Tayler Persons and freshman guard Ishmael El-Amin topped Ball State's attack with 18 points each, with sophomore forward Tahjai Teague tallying 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
 
Toledo Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk:
"Today's loss didn't have anything to with our competitive spirit. We didn't compete when we lost to Ball State at home, but there isn't anybody who can say we didn't compete today. We got out of our flow early due to our foul trouble. I told our guys to stay positive. We have a big game on Tuesday with a two-game lead in the West Division. Now we just have to get healthy for the stretch run."
 
Inside the Numbers
• Toledo was whistled for a season-high 26 fouls after entering the game averaging 16.2 fouls per game. Ball State's 28 free throws made and 36 free throws attempted were season highs for a Rocket opponent.
• In addition to scoring 15 points, Fletcher grabbed eight rebounds and dished out four assists. He now has 982 points as a collegian and is 18 points away from the 1,000-point plateau.
• Sophomore forward Willie Jackson returned to the court for the first time since Jan. 27. He tallied nine points and a team-high 10 rebounds in 26 minutes after missing the last five games.
• Navigato scored in double figures for a third straight game.
• Knapke blocked two shots and his 44 rejections this season rank third in school history. J.C. Harris holds the top two totals with 60 in 1991-92 and 45 in 1990-91.
• Sanford saw his streak of scoring in double figures end at a career-high 16 games with his five-point outing.
 
How It Happened
• Sanford was whistled for offensive fouls on UT's second and third possessions and played just nine minutes in the first half. The Rockets' junior co-captain entered today with a MAC-best 34.9 mpg. 
• UT trailed 2-0 until senior guard Sean Sellers buoyed an eight-point Cardinal run with a trey with 16:11 remaining in the first half and a three-point play nearly 30 seconds later to put the Rockets down 10-0.
• Toledo fought back to within four points, 16-12, with 10:39 left in the first half after a Fletcher three-point play and a Knapke corner trey.
• The Rockets remained within striking distance after Sanford's two free throws closed UT's deficit to 22-17 at the 8:11 mark.
• An 11-2 Cardinal spurt gave Ball State its largest lead of the opening stanza at 21 points, 48-27, 2:08 before halftime.
• Navigato's trey reduced the Rockets' deficit to 49-34 with 29 seconds to play in the half but El-Amin's bucket just before the halftime buzzer put Ball State up 51-34 at intermission.
• The closest Toledo came the remainder of the contest was 14 points following a Fletcher trey on the Rockets' first possession of the second half.
 
Up Next
• Toledo remains on the road with a trip to Ypsilanti, Mich. on Tuesday, Feb. 20 to face Eastern Michigan for the first time this season. The Rockets and Eagles will meet again in the regular-season finale in Savage Arena on Friday, March 2.  


Coach Kowalczyk's Post-Game Comments at Ball State


Tre'Shaun Fletcher's Post-Game Comments at Ball State