SETTING THE SCENE
        Toledo (20-9, 12-4 MAC) is closing in on an outright Mid-American Conference West Division title and one UT victory or one Ball State defeat is all that's needed to achieve that goal. The Rockets have their first opportunity to capture the West title when they travel to DeKalb, Ill. on Tuesday, Feb. 27 to face Northern Illinois (12-17, 5-11 MAC) on Tuesday, February 27. Tip-off time from the Convocation Center is 7:00 p.m. (CT) with the game being streamed on ESPN3.
        UT holds a two-game lead in the Mid-American Conference's West Division over the Cardinals (19-10, 10-6 MAC) and trails Buffalo (21-8, 13-3 MAC) by a single game for the league's best record. The Rockets have already secured a first-round bye in the 2018 MAC Tournament on Thursday-Saturday, March 8-10 and could earn a No. 1, 2 or 3 seed in the post-season event. UT has received a bye in the conference tournament in three of the last five years.
        The Rockets' backcourt duo of senior Tre'Shaun Fletcher and junior Jaelan Sanford combined for 51 points in last Friday's 89-76 home triumph over Central Michigan. Fletcher tallied a game-high 28 points and dished out a career-high nine assists to pace Toledo offensively, while Sanford contributed 23 points and tied his career high with seven rebounds. Sanford also connected on a season-high 5-of-7 three-point field-goal attempts to help UT notch an impressive 60.0 three-point shooting mark (12-of-20).
 
QUICK HITTERS
•   Toledo has achieved their third 20-win campaign in the last five years under Coach Kowalczyk.
•   Fletcher is the lone individual to appear in the MAC's Top 10 in points, rebounds and assists with 19.0 ppg (T-2nd), 8.2 rpg (4th) and 4.2 apg (6th). Fletcher topped the 1,000-career point mark at EMU and has 1,031 points as a collegian, which includes 551 points at Toledo and 480 in three seasons at Colorado.
•   Sanford ranks seventh in the MAC with 16.7 ppg, while freshman Marreon Jackson is second with a 42.9 3PTFG%. Junior Nate Navigato is third with a 42.5 3PTFG% and fourth with 2.7 treys per game, and sophomore Luke Knapke is third with a 57.7 FG% and fourth with 1.6 bpg.
•   As a team, Toledo ranks 14th nationally (as of Feb. 25) with its 40.5 3PTFG% and also tops the MAC with its 1.3 assist/turnover ratio and 27.9 defensive rebounds per game. The Rockets are also second with a 47.1 FG%, 80.0 ppg, 15.6 apg and 9.7 treys per game.
•   NIU is 10-3 at home this season, including a 90-88 (OT) win over Buffalo on Feb. 10.
•   Sophomore guard Eugene German leads the MAC in scoring at 20.5 ppg. Junior forward Levi Bradley ranks second in team scoring at 14.3 ppg and has a team-high 5.0 rpg.
•   The Huskies rank last in the MAC in three-point FG% (32.9) and FG% defense (46.1).

POST-GAME NOTES FROM TOLEDO'S 89-76 VICTORY OVER CENTRAL MICHIGAN
• Toledo clinched a share of its seventh West Division title in program history. UT also earned at least a piece of the division crown in 1998-99, 1999-00, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2012-13 and 2013-14.
• Toledo ended its first losing streak in over two months at two games and is 5-4 following defeats this season.
• Toledo swept its season series vs. CMU and has won its last three matchups vs. the Chippewas.
• UT posted a 55.4 FG% and is 15-3 when shooting 45 percent or higher from the field.
• Toledo has shot 50 percent or better from the field in nine games.
• UT outrebounded CMU by a 34-24 margin for its largest advantage on the boards since its 39-24 cushion vs. Bowling Green (Jan. 27)
• The Rockets continued to add to their school-record total of three-point field goals with 12. UT now has 280, 17 more than the previous record of 263. The Rockets' 155 treys in conference play is also a school record, six more than the 2002-03 squad's mark.
• The Rockets' 12 treys were just two shy of their season high and their 60.0 three-point FG% was their highest in a conference contest this season.
• Junior Jaelan Sanford sank a season-high five treys and has a 54.5 3FG% (12-of-22) in his last four games. He also has sank 17-of-18 free throws in his last five contests.
• Senior Tre'Shaun Fletcher's career-high nine assists were the most by a Rocket this season.
• Junior Nate Navigato has knocked down 16-of-31 (.516 percent) three-point shots in his last five games.
 
TAKING A LOOK AT THE ROCKETS IN CONFERENCE PLAY
• Toledo leads the MAC in 3PTFG% (41.8) and three-point field goals per game (9.5) and ranks second in points (81.4) and assists (16.1 apg) per game, FG% (48.3), scoring margin (+6.5), and assist/turnover ratio (1.5).
• UT leads the MAC in 3PTFG% defense (32.9) and is fourth in FG% defense (43.8) and sixth in scoring defense (74.9).
• Tre'Shaun Fletcher ranks second in scoring at 20.3 ppg, and Jaelan Sanford is sixth at 17.3 ppg.
• Sanford leads the MAC with an 87.9 free-throw percentage (58-of-66), and Luke Knapke ranks third in field-goal percentage at 59.4 percent. Sanford is fourth with a 44.7 3PTFG%.