GAME INFORMATION
Date: Tuesday, January 15, 2019.
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Toledo, Ohio
Arena: Savage Arena (7,014).
Streaming: ESPN3. Mason Lowry will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Jay Gast
   serving as analyst.
Radio: Rocket Radio Network. WSPD (1370 AM) in Toledo. Mark Beier will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Jay Lehman serving as analyst.
 
SERIES
Miami leads, 68-59. UT has won 10 in a row over Miami, with four wins on road and five more at home.

SETTING THE SCENE
        Toledo (13-3, 1-2 MAC) looks to even its record in Mid-American Conference play when it hosts MAC East Division foe Miami (8-8, 0-3 MAC) on Tuesday, Jan. 15. Tip-off time for the first of two meetings between the two schools is set for 7:00 p.m. in Savage Arena with streaming available on ESPN3.
        The Rockets rebounded from an 0-2 start in league action with an 85-77 triumph at Western Michigan on Saturday. UT utilized a 12-2 run down the stretch to pull away from the Broncos for their second win in a row in University Arena.
        Seniors Nate Navigato and Jaelan Sanford shared team scoring honors with 21 points apiece with sophomore Marreon Jackson adding 15 points and nine assists. The trio accounted for all of UT's scoring during the decisive run which Navigato began with a corner trey with just over four minutes to play.
        The Rockets shot 51.7 percent from the field and buried 14-of-27 (51.9 percent) of their three-point field goal attempts. UT limited Western Michigan to a 41.8 shooting mark and a 7-of-24 (29.2 percent) effort behind the three-point arc.
        Toledo has won its last 10 meetings vs. Miami with its last defeat a 68-66 setback on Feb. 12, 2011 in Coach Kowalczyk's first season at the helm of the Rockets. UT posted two victories over the RedHawks last year, a 73-67 win in Oxford and a 71-69 triumph in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals.
        Toledo was only 10-of-44 (22.7 percent) from three-point range last year vs. Miami.
        The RedHawks have opened MAC play with home losses to Central Michigan (84-77) and Northern Illinois (83-70) as well as an 88-64 setback at No. 19 Buffalo.
 
POST TOUCHES
•   UT ranks fifth nationally (as of Jan. 13) with its 78.1 FT%. The Rockets also rank in the Top 30 nationally in 3PTFGs per game (10.3/18th), defensive rebounds per game (29.1/20th), fewest personal fouls per game (15.4/22nd), assists per game (17.1/22nd) and three-point FG% (38.8/28th).
•   UT leads the MAC in FT% (78.1), three-point FGs per game (10.3), three-point FG% (38.8) and three-point FG% defense (30.9).
•   Jaelan Sanford leads the MAC with an 88.9 FT% and is sixth with a team-high 16.7 ppg. The Evansville, Ind. native ranks 11th on UT's all-time scoring list with 1,543 points, seventh with 211 career treys and 10th with an 80.7 career free-throw percentage. He needs two more three-pointers to tie Justin Ingram (2003-07) for sixth place in career treys.
•   Nate Navigato ranks third nationally with a MAC-best 51.6 three-point FG% and is tied for first in the MAC with 3.1 treys per game. He is three treys from tying the Rockets' school record of 276 held by Nick Moore (1999-2003).
•   Navigato has connected for three or more three-pointers in 11 of 16 games and has hit a season-high five three-pointers on five occasions. He scored a season-high 21 points and connected on 5-of-7 three-point field-goal attempts on Saturday at Western Michigan.
•   Willie Jackson ranks second in the MAC and 10th nationally with 10.6 rpg. He has seven double-doubles and has led or shared the team lead in rebounding on 13 occasions.
•   Three Rockets rank in the MAC's Top 10 in 3PTFG% — Nate Navigato (51.6/1st), Luke Knapke (47.6/3rd) and Chris Darrington (42.9/6th) — with two in the Top 5 in FT% - Jaelan Sanford (88.9/1st) and Chris Darrington (81.4/3rd).
•   Marreon Jackson is fourth in the MAC with 4.6 assists per game and followed up a season-high 20-point outing at Buffalo (Jan 8) with a 15-point, nine-assist effort at Western Michigan (Jan. 12). He is averaging 13.3 apg in his last eight contests.
•   Luke Knapke is third in the MAC with a 47.6 three-point FG% (20-of-42). 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 three MAC contests.
•   Chris Darrington comes off the bench and ranks third on the team with a 10.8 scoring mark and scored a career-high 21 points at Buffalo (Jan. 8). He is one of five Rockets scoring in double digits and leads UT in free throws made (57) and free throws attempted (70).
•   Darrington and Buffalo's CJ Massinburg are the only players in the MAC to rank in the MAC's Top 10 in both free-throw percentage and three-point FG%.
•   AJ Edu ranks second in the MAC with 1.9 blocks per game and has 3.4 bpg in his last five contests. He registered 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 13 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 94.4 FT% (17-of-18).
•   Toledo has had at least four players score in double digits in 13 of 16 contests and has had five players score in double figures on five occasions.
•   Toledo is 10-1 when outrebounding its opponent.
•   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).
•   At least five different Rockets have made three-point field goals in 13 of 16 games.
•   Toledo is 9-2 in games decided by five points or less since the start of last season.
 
SOME INFO ON THE ROCKETS' OPPONENT
        The RedHawks are 1-5 on the road with their lone road win coming with a 65-62 victory at Wright State on Dec. 5. Miami ranks 11th in the MAC in field-goal percentage defense (44.9) and is last with 12.4 assists per game.
        Sophomores Nike Sibande and Dalonte Brown are the only two RedHawks scoring in double digits with 16.3 and 14.4 ppg, respectively. Senior guard Darrian Ringo is tied for the MAC lead with 5.4 assists per game and ranks 11th nationally with 2.6 steals per game.
  
ON THE HORIZON
                UT will host Ohio (9-6, 1-2 MAC) on Friday, Jan. 18 at 7:00 p.m. The contest will be televised live nationally on the CBS Sports Network.