TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo men's basketball team (8-4) closes out non-conference play on Saturday, Dec. 28 when it travels to Peoria, Ill. to face Missouri Valley Conference foe Bradley (8-4). The Rockets' contest will be streamed on ESPN-Plus and tip off at 1:00 p.m. (CT) in Carver Arena.
     
The Rockets have lost two straight games for the first time this season with a 72-57 setback at Kansas City (Dec. 17) and a 79-72 home defeat to Wright State (Dec. 21). In Toledo's loss to the Raiders, WSU used a 10-0 run to take a 52-40 lead midway through the second half the Rockets couldn't overcome. Junior Marreon Jackson led three Rockets in double digits with 21 points. Senior Willie Jackson tallied a season-best 15 points and team-high nine rebounds, while senior Luke Knapke contributed 14 points and eight boards.
     
Marreon Jackson leads Toledo offensively with 17.3 ppg (3rd in MAC) and is followed closely by Knapke's 16.6 ppg (4th in MAC). Junior Spencer Littleson is averaging 12.6 ppg, while Willie Jackson is averaging a double-double with 10.9 ppg and 12.6 rpg, a total that ranks third in the nation. He also is tied for seventh nationally with seven double-doubles.

      Bradley is 7-0 inside Carver Arena this season and has won 11 straight home games dating back to last year. Junior forward Elijah Childs leads the Braves with 15.0 ppg and 9.4 rpg. Senior guard Nate Kennell is averaging 11.7 ppg and shooting a team-best 47.8 percent (33-of-69) from three-point range. Bradley made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006 last year after winning the MVC Tournament.
 
POST TOUCHES
•  Toledo is ranked No. 19 in this week's CollegeInsiders.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll, dropping six spots in the poll following its two defeats last week.
•  The Rockets' six double-digit wins this season give them 21 victories of 10 points or more since the start of the 2018-19 season.
•  Toledo is in the midst of playing five of six games on the road. The Rockets will open league play at Ball State (Jan. 3) and Kent State (Jan. 7) before hosting Western Michigan (Jan. 11).
•  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 and ranks third in MAC with 17.3 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 16.6 ppg and 8.4 rpg to go along with a MAC-best 2.7 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 168 blocks, 13 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 12.6 rpg (3rd in nation with 9.2 defensive rpg) after ranking fourth in the MAC last year with 8.9 rpg. He has scored in double digits in five straight outings and led the Rockets on the boards in 10 games, including a career-high tying 20 rebounds at Notre Dame (Nov. 21).
•  Spencer Littleson has scored in double digits seven times and possesses a team-best 44.8 3PTFG% (6th in MAC) and ranks third with a 46.3 FG%. He also is tied for seventh in the MAC with a team-high 2.5 three-point field goals per game.
 
SOME TEAM STATISTICAL TIDBITS
•  Toledo has made nine or more three-pointers in nine of 12 games, including 14 treys at Marshall which is tied for third in program history and three shy of the school record.
•  The Rockets have connected for 14 treys in a game on nine occasions during Coach Kowalczyk's tenure, including eight times since the start of the 2017-18 campaign.
•  Toledo was 5-1 last season in games decided by five points or less but is 1-2 this year with a pair of two-point defeats at Valpo and Notre Dame. The Rockets are 13-5 in games decided by five points or less since the start of the 2017-18 season.
•  Toledo has held all of its opponents to a 45.0 FG% or lower, including six under 40.0.
 
ON THE HORIZON
            The Rockets will open league play on Friday, Jan. 3 with a nationally-televised contest at Ball State. Tip-off time for the CBS Sports Network game is set for 7:00 p.m .