TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo men's basketball team (9-3, 1-0 MAC) plays its first road game of its 2021-22 Mid-American Conference campaign when it travels to Kent, Ohio to face Kent State (5-6, 0-1 MAC) on Saturday, Jan. 1. Tip-off time in the M.A.C. Center is set for 2:00 p.m. with streaming on ESPN3.

        Sophomore Ryan Rollins leads the Rockets with a MAC-best 19.7 ppg. He  also leads the league with 2.3 spg and has scored 20 or more points in seven of 12 contests. Junior JT Shumate ranks second on the team with 15.1 ppg and is grabbing a team-best 7.8 rpg. Also scoring in double digits are juniors Setric Millner Jr. (13.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and RayJ Dennis (11.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 4.0 apg).

        Toledo has posted convincing victories in its last two outings, a 95-63 win over Marshall (Dec. 21) and an 83-56 triumph over Western Michigan (Dec. 29). The Rockets limited the Thundering Herd and Broncos to a 32.1 FG% in each contest and have now won 21 of their last 22 games in Savage Arena.

        Shumate and Rollins led the way offensively with 22 and 20 points, respectively, in the win over the Broncos and were the only Rockets to score in double digits. Shumate also tied career highs with 11 rebounds and five assists, while Rollins grabbed a career-best five steals. The duo was extremely efficient from the field with Rollins hitting 8-of-11 shots and Shumate knocking down 8-of-12.

        Kent State dropped a 72-69 decision to Central Michigan at home in its MAC opener on Wednesday. The Golden Flashes lead the MAC in 3PTFG% defense (28.8) and rank second in the MAC in scoring defense (62.3 ppg) and FG% defense (39.8). Junior guard Sincere Carry leads KSU with 15.6 ppg and 4.9 apg, while junior guard Malique Jacobs is scoring 12.0 ppg and grabbing a team-high 6.7 rpg.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022.
Tip-Off: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Kent, Ohio.
Arena: M.A.C. Center (5,421).
Television: ESPN3. Dave Wilson will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Ben McMillen 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 85-51. Toledo has won seven of its last 13 meetings vs. Kent State after sweeping the Golden Flashes last season. UT won 84-82 in the M.A.C. Center on Jan. 5 and 76-74 in Savage Arena on Jan. 23.

ROCKETS IN MAC TEAM RANKINGS
•  Toledo tops the MAC with a 46.1 FG% and 29.9 defensive rpg and is second with 14.6 apg and a 1.28 assist/turnover ratio.
•  The Rockets are also third in five more categories — FG% defense (40.0), three-point FG% defense (29.2), offensive rpg (11.8), rebounding margin (+6.6) and fewest turnovers (11.4).
 
ROCKETS IN MAC INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
•  Ryan Rollins leads the MAC with 19.6 ppg. Buffalo's Jeenathan Williams is second with 18.6 ppg.
•  Rollins also tops the MAC with 2.3 spg and is ninth with 3.3 apg.
•  JT Shumate paces the conference with a 52.0 3PTFG% and ranks fourth with a 57.0 field-goal mark and 7.8 rpg.
•  RayJ Dennis ranks fourth in the MAC with 4.0 apg.
•  Four Rockets — JT Shumate (5.2/6th), RayJ Dennis (4.9/7th), Setric Millner Jr. (4.4/11th) and Ryan Rollins (4.3/T-14th) — rank among the MAC leaders in defensive rebounds per game.
 
ROCKETS VS. GOLDEN FLASHES
•  Sophomore Ryan Rollins averaged 14.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 2.5 apg in two games last year vs. KSU. Rollins' driving layup with 17.3 seconds left capped off a Toledo rally from nine points down to give the Rockets an 84-82 win at Kent last year.
•  Junior JT Shumate averaged 10.5 ppg and 2.5 rpg to go along with a 53.8 FG% (7-of-13), 50.0 3FG% (2-of-4) and 100.0 FT% (5-of-5) in two games last year vs. KSU.
 
POST TOUCHES
•  Ryan Rollins has scored in double digits in 36 of 42 career games and is averaging 3.1 spg in his last seven contests.
•  Setric Millner Jr. scored a career-high 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting vs. Charlotte (Nov. 22) and poured in 25 points with a career-high four three-pointers at Richmond.
•  Millner ranks 11th in the MAC with a 40.5 three-point FG% (15-of-37) after registering a 27.3 mark (21-of-77) last season.
•  JT Shumate ranks in the MAC's Top 15 in six categories.  He leads the MAC with with a 52.0 three-point FG% and is fourth with 7.8 rpg and a 57.0 FG%, sixth with 5.2 defensive rpg, seventh with 2.5 offensive rpg, and tied for 11th with 15.1 ppg.
•  RayJ Dennis scored a career-high 21 points and grabbed nine boards vs. Charlotte (Nov. 22). He tallied 20 points, seven boards and five assists vs. Marshall (Dec. 21) and is fourth in the MAC with a team-high 4.0 apg and seventh with 4.9 defensive rpg. 
 
ON THE HORIZON
     Toledo will visit Central Michigan (2-10, 1-0 MAC) on Tuesday, Jan. 4 at 7:00 p.m.  before returning home to host Northern Illinois (3-7, 0-0 MAC) on Saturday, Jan. 8 at 2:00 p.m.