GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, February 9, 2019.
Tip-Off: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Bowling Green, Ohio.
Arena: Stroh Center (4,387).
Streaming: ESPN3. Brad Woznicki will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Ryan Strodtbeck 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 91-80. UT has won eight of the last nine meetings vs. BGSU, including five straight in Savage Arena

SETTING THE SCENE
        A matchup of the Mid-American Conference's East and West Division leaders takes place in this year's "Battle of I-75" when Toledo (19-4, 7-3 MAC) visits Bowling Green (16-6, 8-1 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 9. Tip-off time is set for 6:00 p.m. in the Stroh Center with the contest being streamed on ESPN3.
        The Rockets hold a one-and-a-half game lead over Central Michigan (16-6, 5-4 MAC) in the West standings. Toledo's 7-3 league record ranks third overall in the MAC behind the Falcons and Buffalo (19-3, 7-2 MAC).
        In Tuesday's 63-52 win over Akron, Toledo won for the seventh time in last eight outings after trailing 36-31 with 12 minutes to play. The Rockets outscored the Zips 32-16 down the stretch. Senior Jaelan Sanford scored 15 of his team-high 17 points in the second half to lead the Rockets. Senior Nate Navigato was the only other Rocket to score in double digits, finishing with 11 points, six rebounds and four assists. Junior Willie Jackson led Toledo with eight rebounds and helped UT to a 45-42 advantage on the glass.
        The Rockets held Akron (13-9, 5-4 MAC) to a miniscule 28.1 FG%, the lowest by a UT opponent since 29.8 percent on March 5, 2013.
        Toledo has won eight of its last nine meetings vs. Bowling Green with its only defeat a 104-100 (2OT) road setback on Feb. 4, 2017. UT won the only matchup between the two schools last year with a 101-75 triumph in Savage Arena.
        A key to the Rockets' recent success against the Falcons has been the play of Navigato, Sanford and junior Luke Knapke. Navigato is averaging 13.8 ppg with a 59.3 3PTFG% (16-of-27), Sanford is averaging 14.0 ppg with a 60.5 FG% (26-of-43) and Knapke is averaging 10.7 ppg with an 80.0 FG% (16-of-20).
        Bowling Green has a perfect 11-0 home record and has won 12 of 13 games with its lone defeat a 67-53 loss at Miami on Jan. 26.
 
POST TOUCHES
•   Only 11 schools have fewer than Toledo's four losses this season (as of Feb. 5).
•   UT is fourth nationally (as of Feb. 5) with its 78.2 FT%. The Rockets also rank in the Top 20 nationally in defensive rebounds per game (30.1/7th), assist/turnover ratio (1.48/9th), winning percentage (82.6/12th), rebounds per game (40.9/13th), assists per game (17.1/15th) and fewest personal fouls per game (15.0/16th).
•   UT leads the MAC in FT% (78.2), three-point FGs per game (9.8), assist/turnover ratio (1.5), FG% defense (40.2) and defensive rebounds per game (30.1).
•   Jaelan Sanford leads the MAC with an 87.3 FT% and ranks ninth with a team-high 16.0 ppg. The Evansville, Ind. native ranks eighth on UT's all-time scoring list with 1,644 points and is 32 points behind Steve Mix (1966-69). Sanford is also sixth on UT's career three-point field-goal list with 221 and needs one more to tie Jonathan Williams (2013-17). He also is second in career minutes played (4,019), trailing only Juice Brown (2011-15) with 4,327.
•   Nate Navigato ranks 13th nationally with a 46.3 three-point FG%. Navigato holds the UT record for career three-point FGs with 286 treys and has hit a season-high five three-pointers on five occasions. He earned MAC West Division Co-Player of the Week honors this week after averaging 17.0 ppg at Miami and NIU to go along with a 56.6 FG% and 50.0 three-point FG% (7-of-14).
•   Willie Jackson ranks third in the MAC and 18th nationally with 10.0 rpg. He has eight double-doubles and has led or shared the team lead in rebounding on 17 occasions. Jackson dished out a career-high five assists to go along with nine points and 13 boards at Kent State (Jan. 22).
•   Two Rockets rank in the MAC's Top 5 in three different categories:
    Three-point FG% — Nate Navigato (46.3/2nd) and Luke Knapke (43.5/5th)
    Free-throw percentage — Jaelan Sanford (87.3/1st) and Chris Darrington (82.7/3rd) Blocked shots per game — AJ Edu (1.8/1st) and Luke Knapke (1.3/5th)
•   Marreon Jackson is third in the MAC with 4.6 apg and fifth with a 2.0 assist/turnover ratio. He is averaging 13.0 ppg in MAC play and ranks second in the MAC with an 87.0 FT%.
•   Luke Knapke is tied for second on the team in MAC play with a 13.0 scoring mark. Knapke earned last week's MAC West Division Player of Week honors and is averaging 15.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg with a 63.3 FG% (38-of-60) in his last six games.
•   Knapke is in third place on UT's all-time blocked shot list with 118 blocks, six more than Casey Shaw (1994-98) and 20 behind J.C. Harris (1989-92).
•   Chris Darrington comes off the bench and ranks fifth on the team with a 9.3 scoring mark. He leads UT in free throws made (62) and free throws attempted (75) and scored a career-high 21 points at Buffalo (Jan. 8).
•   AJ Edu leads the MAC with 1.8 blocks per game and is averaging a MAC-best 2.2 bpg in league play. He registered a season-high five rejections vs. Cornell (Dec. 19), Ball State (Jan. 4) and Ohio (Jan. 18) and his 42 rejections this season are tied for fifth most in program history.
 
SOME TEAM STATISTICAL TIDBITS
•   A victory over Bowling Green would give Toledo its fourth 20-win season in the last six years as well as its ninth victory in last 10 meetings with the Falcons.
•   Thirteen of UT's 19 wins have been by 11 points or more.
•   Toledo's 19-4 win-loss mark is one game behind the pace set by Toledo's 2013-14 squad that won a school-record 27 games. UT opened that season with a 21-3 record.
•   Toledo has six different players shooting 75.3 percent or better from the free-throw line. Nate Navigato leads the way with an 88.5 FT% (23-of-26).
•   Toledo has had at least four players score in double digits in 17 of 23 contests and has had five players score in double figures on five occasions.
•   Toledo is 16-2 when outrebounding its opponent.
•   Toledo has held double-digit rebounding advantages against 11 opponents, including a plus-25 effort vs. Detroit Mercy (Dec. 5) and a plus-22 outing vs. Cornell (Dec. 19).
•   Toledo is 11-3 in games decided by five points or less since the start of last season.
•   Toledo is 16-0 when holding its opponent under 45 percent shooting from the field. UT is 14-2 when scoring 80 or more points and 18-1 when holding its opponent under 80 points.

COMPARING THE ROCKETS AND FALCONS
•   Toledo (40.2) and Bowling Green (40.5) rank first and second in the MAC in FG% defense. UT is also first in league play with a 40.5 mark, while the Falcons are third at 42.1.
•   The Falcons lead the MAC with a 37.4 3PTFG% just ahead of the Rockets' 37.3 mark. BGSU also is first in rebounding margin at plus-80 with UT in second place at plus-5.6.
•   Toledo leads the MAC with a 78.2 FT% with Bowling Green tied for ninth with a 66.7 mark.
•   The Rockets are 14-6 in their last 20 road games and the Falcons are 4-6 away from home this season.
 
SOME INFO ON THE ROCKETS' OPPONENT
        Bowling Green is one of the nation's top rebounding squads and ranks ninth nationally with a plus-8.0 rebounding margin. The Falcons' 8-1 start to MAC play is the fourth time in program history they have opened the conference season with eight wins in nine games.
        Sophomore guard Justin Turner ranks third in the MAC with 18.5 ppg, while senior forward Demajeo Wiggins ranks second in team scoring with 12.9 ppg and fifth nationally with 11.5 rpg. Junior guard Dylan Frye is also averaging in double digits with 12.0 ppg with a 39.4 3PTFG%.
 
ON THE HORIZON
         The Rockets will host No. 23 Buffalo (19-3, 7-2 MAC) on Friday, Feb. 15 at 7:00 p.m. in a rematch of the 2018 MAC Tournament Championship Game. The contest will be televised nationally on ESPNU.