TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo men's basketball team closes out its regular season on Friday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m. against Eastern Michigan with a chance to secure a first-round home game in the 2020 Mid-American Conference Tournament. A win over the Eagles would give the Rockets a home game on Monday, March 9 as the tourney's No. 7 seed. Following Friday's game, the Rockets will hold their annual Senior Night ceremony with Willie Jackson and Luke Knapke being honored.

         Toledo (15-15, 7-10 MAC) will be trying to gain a split of its season series vs. the Eagles after dropping a 61-57 decision in Ypsilanti, Mich. on Feb. 1. Juniors Dylan Alderson and Marreon Jackson each scored a team-high 14 points against EMU to lead a shorthanded Rocket squad that played without junior Spencer Littleson.

        Junior Marreon Jackson ranks among the MAC leaders with 19.5 ppg (3rd), 5.5 apg (2nd) and 3.0 three-point FGs per game (2nd). Also appearing in the MAC's Top 10 in scoring for the Rockets is Knapke at 15.7 ppg (9th in MAC). Willie Jackson and Littleson are averaging 11.9 ppg and 10.5 ppg, respectively, with Jackson grabbing a MAC-best 11.7 rpg to rank fourth nationally.

        Toledo is looking to rebound from Tuesday night's 71-50 defeat to MAC West front-runner Northern Illinois. Willie Jackson registered his 17th double-double of the season to lead the Rockets. Jackson finished with a team-high 15 points and 10 rebounds with Marreon Jackson joining him in double digits with 12 points. Littleson also grabbed a career-high five steals in the setback.

        Junior forward Ty Groce and senior center Boubacar Toure lead the Eagles offensively with 11.5 and 10.8 ppg, respectively. Toure leads the MAC with a 66.2 field-goal percentage and is tied for third with a 9.4 rpg, while Groce ranks third with 1.8 spg.

GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday, March 6, 2020.
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Toledo, Ohio.
Arena: Savage Arena (7,014).
Television: ESPN3. Mason Lowry will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Rhett Boyd 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.

POST TOUCHES
•  Marreon Jackson ranks among the MAC leaders with 19.5 ppg (3rd), 5.5 apg (2nd) and 3.0 3FGs/game (2nd). In league play, he is second with 21.4 ppg, 5.1 apg and 3.5 treys/game and seventh with an 84.2 FT%. Jackson was named to the Lou Henson Award Mid-Season Watch list in January, an award presented to the top mid-major player in the nation.
•  Jackson has hit seven treys at Akron, Kent State and CMU which is one shy of former Rocket Nate Navigato's school record for a conference game (eight vs. EMU on March 2, 2018).
•  Jackson has scored in double figures in a career-high 19 straight games.
•  Jackson's top five scoring outings of his career have all come on the road this season - 37 at Central Michigan, 36 at Akron, 32 at Kent State, 31 at Bowling Green and 29 at Ohio.
•  Luke Knapke, who has been named MAC West Division Player of the Week and MAC Male Scholar Athlete twice this season, has scored in double digits in 27 of 30 games.
•  Knapke ranks second on the team with 15.7 ppg and 8.0 rpg to go along with a MAC-best 1.9 bpg and is the only player to rank in MAC's Top 10 in points, rebounds and blocks.
•  Willie Jackson leads the MAC and ranks fourth nationally with 11.7 rpg after ranking fourth in the MAC last year with 8.9 rpg. In league play, he is averaging 12.5 ppg and 11.4 rpg with a 51.2 FG%. He has led Toledo on the boards in 25 games, including a career-high tying 20 caroms at Notre Dame (Nov. 21).
•  Jackson scored a career-high 23 points to go along with 12 boards at Akron (Jan. 18) and also tallied 19 points and 10 rebounds at Western Michigan (Feb. 22).
•  Spencer Littleson has scored in double digits 14 times and ranks sixth in the MAC with a 39.6 three-point FG%. In his last five games, he is averaging 11.4 ppg and 2.8 spg.
•  Keshaun Saunders is tied for ninth in league play with a 39.7 3FG%.
 
SOME TEAM STATISTICAL TIDBITS
•  Toledo committed six turnovers at NIU (March 3) and leads the MAC with a 1.16 A/TO ratio. The Rockets are also first in league play with a 1.14 A/TO ratio.
•  Toledo is shooting 77.3 percent (85-of-110) from the free-throw line in its last five games. The Rockets rank fourth in the MAC in with a 73.9 mark and are third in league play at 75.4 percent.
•  The Rockets lead the MAC in league play with 13.5 apg and 1.14 assist/turnover ratio. Toledo is second with a 36.7 three-point FG%.
•  Toledo was 21-3 when outrebounding its opponent last year and is 11-4 this season.
•  UT was 21-1 last year when holding its opponent under a 45.0 FG% and is 13-6 this year.

SOME INFO ON THE ROCKETS' OPPONENT
     Eastern Michigan ranks second in the nation with 10.0 spg. The Eagles are forcing 17.0 turnovers per game, a total which ranks 13th in the nation. EMU ranks second in the MAC in scoring defense (62.8) but is last in scoring offense (64.8), three-point FG% (28.2) and three-point FGs made per game (5.5).
 
MAC WEST DIVISION BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONS
     Toledo won back-to-back outright MAC West Division titles last year for the first time in program history. The Rockets have won four outright MAC West Division titles (1998-99, 2006-07, 2017-18, 2018-19) and shared West crowns on four more occasions (1999-2000, 2004-05, 2012-13, 2013-14) since the conference went to the division format in the 1997-98 season.
 
ON THE HORIZON
        The Rockets will open play in the 2020 MAC Tournament on Monday, March 9. With a win over Eastern Michigan on Friday, the Rockets would be the No. 7 seed and host either Eastern Michigan, Miami or Western Michigan.