GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, January 12, 2019.
Tip-Off: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Arena: University Arena (5,421).
Streaming: ESPN-Plus. Noah Reed will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Austin Richie serving as analyst.
Radio: Rocket Radio Network. WSPD (1370 AM) in Toledo. Brent Balbinot will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Jay Lehman serving as analyst.
 
SETTING THE SCENE
        Toledo (12-3, 0-2 MAC) looks to record its first conference victory of the season when it travels to Western Michigan (6-9, 0-2 MAC) on Saturday, Jan. 12. Tip-off time is set for 2:00 p.m. in University Arena with streaming available on ESPN-Plus.
        The Rockets have dropped their first two league contests for the first time since going 0-3 in their 2011-12 campaign. UT suffered a home setback to Ball State in its MAC opener before falling at No. 19 Buffalo on Tuesday.
        Toledo ran into a hot-shooting Buffalo squad and suffered a 110-80 setback to the Bulls in Alumni Arena. Senior Chris Darrington came off the bench to lead the Rockets with a career-high 21 points, while sophomore Marreon Jackson tallied a season-high 20 points. Joining the backcourt duo in double figures were junior Luke Knapke and senior Nate Navigato with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
        Junior Willie Jackson paced the Rockets on the boards with 11 rebounds with Knapke and Marreon Jackson grabbing six apiece.
        Toledo shot 40.3 percent from the field and was 10-of-29 (34.5 percent) from three-point range. Buffalo converted 51.8 percent of its shot attempts and knocked down 15-of-30 shots from behind the three-point arc.
        The Rockets swept the season series vs. the Broncos last year for the first time since the 2006-07 campaign. Toledo rolled to an 84-61 home victory on Jan. 9 before pulling out an 85-81 road win on Jan. 23. UT was 13-of-23 behind the three-point arc in Savage Arena before turning in a 13-of-28 performance from downtown in Kalamazoo.
 
POST TOUCHES
•  Toledo's 12-1 start to the season was its best since opening 12-1 in its 2013-14 season.
•  UT ranks eighth nationally (as of Jan. 9) with its 77.7 FT%. The Rockets also rank in the Top 30 nationally in rebounds per game (41.1/19th), defensive rebounds per game (29.5/19th), 3PTFGs per game (10.0/22nd), assists per game (16.9/24th) and 3PTFG% defense (29.2/27th).
•  UT leads the MAC in FT% (77.7) and is tied for first in three-point FGs per game (10.0).
•   Jaelan Sanford ranks second in the MAC with an 87.8 FT% and tied for sixth with a team-high 16.4 ppg. The Evansville, Ind. native ranks 11th on UT's all-time scoring list with 1,522 points, seventh with 210 career treys and ninth with an 80.5 career free-throw percentage.
•   Nate Navigato ranks sixth nationally with a 50.0 three-point FG%. He also ranks second in the MAC as well as eighth nationally with a 3.8 assist/turnover ratio.
•   Navigato paced the MAC last year with 2.8 treys/game and was second with a 42.7 3PTFG%.
•   Navigato has connected for three or more three-pointers in 10 of 15 games and has hit a season-high five three-pointers on four occasions.
•   Willie Jackson ranks second in the MAC and tied for eighth nationally with 10.9 rpg. He is tied for 22nd nationally with seven double-doubles and has 11 in 35 career games as a Rocket.
•  Three Rockets rank in the MAC's Top 10 in 3PTFG% — Nate Navigato (50.0/3rd), Luke Knapke (45.0/5th) and Chris Darrington (42.3/9th) — with two in the Top 5 in FT% - Jaelan Sanford (87.8/2nd) and Chris Darrington (81.4/4th).
•   Marreon Jackson is fourth in the MAC with 4.3 assists per game and scored a season-high 20 points on Tuesday at Buffalo. He is averaging 13.0 apg in his last seven contests.
•   Luke Knapke is fifth in the MAC with a 45.0 three-point FG% (18-of-40). Knapke scored a career-best 20 points at Wright State (Nov. 14) thanks to a 6-of-6 effort behind the three-point arc. He has scored in double digits in UT's first two MAC contests.
•   Chris Darrington comes off the bench and ranks third on the team with an 11.0 scoring mark after scoring a career-high 21 points on Tuesday at Buffalo. He is one of five Rockets scoring in double digits and leads UT in free throws made (57) and free throws attempted (70).
•   AJ Edu ranks second in the MAC with 1.9 blocks per game with 3.8 bpg in his last four contests. He register a season-high five rejections vs. Cornell (Dec. 19) and Ball State (Jan. 4) and three at Buffalo (Jan. 8).
 
SOME TEAM STATISTICAL TIDBITS
•   Nine of UT's 12 wins have been by 11 points or more.
•   Prior to its home loss to Ball State on Jan. 4, the Rockets had won their first seven home games for the first time since winning all 15 home contests in their 2013-14 campaign.
•   Toledo has seven different players shooting 73.3 percent or better from the free-throw line. Nate Navigato leads the way with a 93.8 FT% (15-of-16).
•  Toledo has had at least four players score in double digits in 12 of 15 contests and has had five players score in double figures on five occasions.
•   Toledo has held nine of its last 12 opponents to 70 points or less. The only opponents to top 70 points during this stretch were Marshall, which needed overtime to do so in the Rockets' 75-74 (OT) road win on Dec. 8, and Ball State last Friday.
•  Toledo have held double-digit rebounding advantages against seven opponents, including a plus-25 effort vs. Detroit Mercy (Dec. 5) and a plus-22 outing vs. Cornell (Dec. 19).
•   Toledo is 10-1 when outrebounding its opponent.
•   At least five different Rockets have made three-point field goals in 12 of 15 games.
•   UT shot 75.0 percent or better from the free-throw line in nine of its first 12 games but has not in its last three games while posting a 65.2 mark (30-of-46).
•   Toledo is 9-2 in games decided by five points or less since the start of last season.

SOME INFO ON THE ROCKETS' OPPONENT
        Sophomore guard Michael Flowers leads Western Michigan with 16.3 ppg and is shooting 42.3 percent from behind the three-point arc. Senior center Seth Dugan ranks second in team scoring with 14.7 ppg and leads the Broncos with 8.1 rpg and 1.1 bpg.
        The Broncos ranked toward the bottom of the MAC in scoring offense (11th/72.2 ppg), field-goal percentage (11th/43.3%) and three-point FG% (9th/33.5%).
 
ON THE HORIZON
         UT returns home for a pair of contests vs. Miami (8-7, 0-2 MAC) on Tuesday, Jan. 15 and Ohio (8-6, 0-2 MAC) on Friday, Jan. 18. Tip-off time for both games is set for 7:00 p.m.