KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Toledo will tip off its 39th season of Mid-American Conference play at West Division rival Western Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 4 in University Arena. The opening tip is slated for 2:00 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN3.

The Rockets have been picked to finish third in the MAC West Division, while the Broncos are tabbed to place sixth.

Toledo is 23-15 (.605) all-time in MAC openers, including an 11-10 (.524) ledger when beginning league action away from home. Last season, the Midnight Blue & Gold claimed a 65-58 home victory against Ball State to snap a three-game losing skid in conference openers.

The Rockets and WMU have also squared off in league openers on six occasions (1985, '90, 2000, '02, '09 and '12), with Toledo winning two (1990, 2009) of the matchups.

The Rockets enter conference play on the heels of back-to-back wins against Pacific, 66-65, on Dec. 20 and most recently Canisius, 83-65, on Dec. 29.

Toledo outscored the Golden Griffins 24-13 in the final 10 minutes to win consecutive contests for the first time this year. The Rockets shot a sensational 75.0 percent (9-of-12) from the field in the fourth stanza against Canisius, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe to surpass the 80-point mark for the second time this year. 

Junior Nakiah Black led a balanced Toledo attack with 17 points, to go along with a career-high eight assists and five rebounds. 

Joining Black in double figures were classmate Tatyana Davis with 15 points off the bench and senior Mariella Santucci had 10, to go along with a team-high seven rebounds and six assists. 

The victorious Rockets also benefited from eight points by both freshman Quinesha Lockett and senior transfer Arianne Whitaker and seven from junior Tanaya Beacham to help them improve to 13-0 all-time against Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference schools. 

For the contest, Toledo shot a season-high 61.1 percent (33-of-54) from the floor, including a season-best 52.0 percent (season-high 13-of-25) from beyond the arc, and 66.7 percent (4-of-6) from the free throw line. The last time Toledo shot at least 60 percent from the field occurred against Yale on Nov. 27, 2009. The Rockets connected on 61.2 percent (30-of-49) vs. the Bulldogs in the first round of the Holiday Inn & Suites Express Midtown Thanksgiving Classic in Albuquerque, N.M.

In addition, the Rockets dished out a season-best 24 assists and had three players with at least five dimes, sparked by Black's career-high eight.

For the season, the Rockets are fueled offensively by the quartet of Black, Santucci, Beacham and Davis, who are averaging 12.1, 9.0, 8.8 and 8.3 ppg, respectively.

Toledo will face a Western Michigan squad which has won five of its last six contests, including a 70-60 road victory against Loyola Chicago on Monday. Jordan Walker led the Broncos with 21 points, followed by Breanna Mobley with 11 points and a game-high 14 boards. 

Western Michigan features a balanced attack with four players scoring in double digits paced by Walker's 16.2 ppg. A 2019-20 Preseason All-MAC West Division Team honoree, Mobley is close behind at 13.4 ppg with a MAC-best 10.5 rpg. The Broncos are 3-1 at home in 2019-20.

Toledo and Western Michigan will meet for the first of two match-ups during the regular season and 81st time overall. The Rockets will host the Broncos on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 2:00 p.m. in Savage Arena.

Toledo leads the all-time series, 59-21, and has won the last 11 contests against its division rival. The Rockets are outscoring the Broncos by 10.0 ppg (73.7-63.7) during the unbeaten stretch. In addition, Toledo holds a 25-12 advantage in games played in Kalamazoo.

A year ago, Toledo swept the regular-season series against Western Michigan, claiming an 80-57 road triumph (Jan. 16) and a 73-63 home victory (Feb. 27). 

Western Michigan's last victory against Toledo occurred on Feb. 23, 2014 when it escaped Savage Arena with a 60-59 road triumph. 

Toledo and Western Michigan shared one common non-conference opponent in 2019-20: Detroit Mercy. The Rockets claimed an 82-64 road triumph against the Titans on Dec. 14, while the Broncos secured an 82-67 home victory on Nov. 20.

Following Saturday's MAC opener, Toledo will host MAC East Division leader Buffalo (9-2) on Wednesday, Jan. 8. The MAC cross-division showdown is slated for 7:00 p.m. in Savage Arena and will be televised on ESPN+.