FINDLAY, Ohio – The Toledo men's basketball team was tested before pulling away in the second half in a 100-88 exhibition victory on Sunday afternoon at NCAA Division II power Findlay. The contest was played before a near-capacity crowd in the Oilers' Croy Gymnasium.

"Findlay really challenged us and that's exactly why we play this game on the road," Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk said. "We play this game because we think it's going to help us get better regardless of the outcome. That happened today because we found out what we needed to work on and that's really valuable."

Junior RayJ Dennis topped the Rockets offensively with 26 points.

Toledo jumped out to an early 14-6 advantage before the Oilers knocked down four three-pointers as part of a 12-2 spurt to take an 18-16 lead with 13:29 remaining in the first half.

Findlay stayed hot and increased its margin to 43-27 at the 7:23 mark. Following a timeout, the Rockets went on an 11-2 run to get within 45-38 four minutes before halftime.

"We handled the adversity we faced well but we shouldn't have put ourselves in that position," Dennis said. "We started the game strong but then we let up a little bit. It was important for us to stay together and fight back in a hostile environment."

Setric Millner Jr. scored the final four points of the half to put Toledo down 52-46 at intermission.

Millner's dunk four minutes after the break gave the Rockets a 58-56 lead. Toledo then extended its lead to as many as 15 points before settling for a 12-point victory.

"Findlay's a tough team and those dudes made some shots," Millner said. "They came to compete and that's why we came down here to play them. We have to fix some things on defense, but we'll be alright. We still have some things to work on. This is what we needed to help us get ready for our season."

The Rockets will open their 2022-23 season on Monday, Nov. 7 vs. Valparaiso in Savage Arena at 7:00 p.m.

Toledo men's basketball season and single-game tickets are on sale now.  For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Rocket Athletic Ticket Office at the Sullivan Athletic Complex in Savage Arena, contact the Rocket Athletic Ticket Office at 419-530-GOLD (4653) or go online to UTRockets.com/tix.