SETTING THE SCENE
        The Toledo men's basketball team (7-2) looks to remain undefeated in December and extend its four-game winning streak on Saturday, Dec. 14 when it heads to the Motor City to battle Horizon League foe Detroit Mercy (1-8). The matchup will be streamed on ESPN-Plus and tip off at 3:00 p.m. from Calihan Hall. The contest will follow the Rocket women's contest against the Titans which is set for a noon tipoff.

        Senior Luke Knapke was named Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week after averaging 22.5 ppg, 11.5 rpg and 5.5 bpg in two games last week. He carried the Rockets to an 82-72 home victory over Marshall last Sunday in their most recent victory. Knapke tallied a career-high 33 points against the Thundering Herd to go along with 11 boards, while junior Marreon Jackson contributed 24 points.

        Jackson leads Toledo offensively with 18.0 ppg and ranks 12th nationally with 6.7 apg. He is joined in double figures by Knapke (16.8 ppg) and junior Spencer Littleson (13.1 ppg). Senior Willie Jackson is close to averaging a double-double with 9.9 ppg and 12.3 rpg, a total that ranks third in the nation.

        Detroit Mercy will be playing just its second home game and has suffered setbacks to N.C. State, Clemson and Notre Dame along with MAC schools EMU, Kent State and Ohio. Sophomore Antoine Davis ranks fourth in nation with 24.1 ppg and has a team-high 4.8 apg.

GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019.
Tip-Off: 3:00 p.m.
Location: Detroit, Mich.
Arena: Calihan Hall (8,295).
Streaming: ESPN-Plus. Jeremy Otto will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Earl Cureton 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.

SERIES
Toledo leads 35-25. Toledo has won its last three matchups vs. the Titans, including a 101-57 home victory last year. The Rockets' last win at Detroit was an 89-86 buzzer-beating triumph in 2017.

POST TOUCHES
•  Toledo is ranked No. 15 in this week's CollegeInsiders.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll, two spots higher than it was ranked last week.
•  The Rockets' five double-digit wins this season give them 21 victories of 10 points or more since the start of the 2018-19 season.
•  Toledo ranks seventh nationally in scoring margin (+18.4), 11th in def. rpg (30.6), 18th in assists/game (16.9), rebounds/game (42.1) and 3FG/game (10.1), 20th in scoring offense (82.7), 26th in FG% defense (37.6) and 30th in 3PTFG% (38.7) (as of Dec. 10).
•  Marreon Jackson was named to the Lou Henson Award Preseason Watch list at the start of the season. The award is presented to the top mid-major player in the nation. He has dished out a career-high 10 assists twice this year and ranks third in MAC with 18.0 ppg.
•  Jackson has scored a career-high 27 points on two occasions, the first in the Rockets' season opener at Valparaiso and the second vs. Howard on Nov. 17.
•  Luke Knapke, who has been named MAC West Division Player of the Week twice this season, is the only Rocket to score in double digits in every game this season. He ranks second on the team with 16.8 ppg and 9.1 rpg and ranks 12th in the nation with 3.0 bpg.
• Knapke became Toledo's all-time blocked shot leader with a school-record 10 blocks (2nd in MAC history) at Cleveland State. He now has 163 blocks, eight more than Nathan Boothe (2012-16).
•  Knapke joined Boothe as one of three Rockets to register a triple-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks at CSU. Boothe tallied 12 pts., 13 reb. and 10 asst. vs. San Jose State in 2015, while Tre'Shaun Fletcher recorded 20 pts., 11 reb., and 11 asst. at Northern Illinois in 2018. Toledo went 100 years without having a triple-double and now has three in the last five seasons under Coach Kowalczyk.
•  Willie Jackson leads the MAC and ranks third nationally with 12.3 rpg (2nd in nation with 9.0 defensive rpg) after ranking fourth in the MAC last year with 8.9 rpg. He has led the Rockets on the boards in seven games this season, including a career-high tying 20 rebounds at Notre Dame on Nov. 21.
•  Spencer Littleson has scored in double digits six times and ranks second on the team with a 44.2 3PTFG% and third with a 47.1 FG%. He also is tied for seventh in the MAC along with Marreon Jackson with a team-high 2.6 three-point field goals per game.
•  Dylan Alderson ranks second on the team with a 50.0 field-goal mark and third with a 42.9 3PTFG% (12-of-28). He grabbed a career-high four steals vs. Marshall (Dec. 8) and has dished out a career-high three assists in each of the Rockets' last three contests.
•  Keshaun Saunders is Toledo's Sixth Starter and has scored in double digits off the bench four times. He ranks fifth in team scoring with 9.7 ppg and has a team-high 44.4 3PTFG% (16-of-36). He has scored a season-high 18 points twice, at Valpo (Nov. 5) and vs. Robert Morris (Nov. 16).
 
SOME TEAM STATISTICAL TIDBITS
•  Toledo has made nine or more three-pointers in eight of nine games, including 14 treys at Marshall which is tied for third in program history and three shy of the school record.
•  Toledo has held all of its opponents under a 45.0 FG%, including five under 40.0.
•  Toledo was 21-3 when outrebounding its opponent last year and is 5-1 this season.
•  Toledo was 21-1 last year when holding its opponent under 45 percent shooting and is 7-2 this season.
•  The Rockets were 19-0 when holding their opponent under 70 points last year but suffered a 64-62 loss to Notre Dame on Nov. 21.
 
HORIZON FAMILIARITY
        Toledo has faced at least three Horizon League members in non-conference play over the last seven years and will face at least four for a fifth consecutive year this season.
        The Rockets are 22-10 vs. the Horizon League during this stretch, including a 15-5 mark since the start of the 2015-16 season.
        Prior to taking over at the Rocket helm, Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk spent eight seasons coaching in the Horizon League at Green Bay
 
ON THE HORIZON
                The Rockets' final two games before a week-long Christmas break will include a road game at UMKC (Dec. 17) as well as a home game vs. Wright State (Dec. 21).