TOLEDO, Ohio - Toledo (2-0) returns home after knocking off Conference USA favorite UAB in the Barstool Sports Invitational last Friday to host Oakland on Wednesday, Nov. 16. The game will tip off at 7:00 p.m. in Savage Arena and will be streamed on ESPN+.

Toledo is ranked No. 5 in this week's CollegeInsiders.com Mid-Major Preseason Poll and is receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Top 25 (10 pts.) and Associated Press (8 pts.) polls.

After dominating Valparaiso in its season opener last Monday, Toledo rallied from a 46-39 deficit to down the Blazers, 93-85, in the Wells Fargo Center in its most recent outing. The Rockets led for the game's final 16 minutes after putting together a 15-3 run in the first five minutes after halftime.

Junior RayJ Dennis led UT in scoring for a second-straight contest by scoring a career-high 23 points. Seniors Setric Millner Jr. (21 pts.) and JT Shumate (20 pts.) also topped the 20-point mark for the Rockets.

Dennis was named MAC Player of the Week on Monday and is leading Toledo with 23.0 ppg. He is joined in double digits by Millner (18.0 ppg), Shumate (13.5 ppg), sophomore Ra'Heim Moss (11.5) and junior Tyler Cochran (10.5). Millner leads the Rockets with 7.5 rpg, Dennis has a team-high 6.0 apg and Cochran has a team-best 4.0 spg.

Oakland has played its first three games at home. The Golden Grizzlies defeated Defiance (92-27) before losing to Bowling Green (87-82) and Oklahoma State (91-62). Oakland has five players scoring in double digits. Senior Jalen Moore leads the way with 18.0 ppg and 4.0 apg. Sophomore Trey Townsend is averaging 17.5 ppg and shooting 87.5 percent (14-of-16) from field, while graduate transfer Keaton Hervey is averaging 14.0 ppg and a team-best 8.5 rpg.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022.
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Toledo, Ohio
Arena: Savage Arena (7,014).
Television: ESPN+. 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.
 
SERIES
Toledo leads 11-7. The Rockets' four-game win streak in the series was snapped with Oakland's 80-59 home victory last year. Toledo has a 7-2 all-time record vs. the Golden Grizzlies in Savage Arena.

A LOOK AT THE ROCKETS
     Toledo captured its 10th Mid-American Conference title in program history last season and has registered four 20-win seasons in the last five years as well as six 20-win campaigns in the last nine seasons. The Rockets broke their school record last year with 17 MAC victories and their 26 overall wins were second in school history, one behind the 2013-14's squad.
     Toledo won 15 of its 17 league games last season by eight points or more. In the 2020-21 season, 13 of Toledo's 15 MAC victories were by nine points or more.
     Toledo returned four starters from last year's squad which repeated as outright Mid-American Conference champions. The lone departure was sophomore guard Ryan Rollins who was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the NBA draft after leading the Rockets with 18.9 ppg.
 
TEAM TIDBITS
•  Toledo is the only MAC school to win 13 or more league games four of last five years.
•  Toledo scored 82 or more points in 15 of 20 MAC games last year.
•  Toledo was 8-2 in conference road games last season after posting a 6-3 mark in league contests away from home in the 2020-21 campaign.
•  Toledo committed the fewest turnovers (9.65/game) and posted a MAC-best 1.69 A/TO ratio in league play last year.
•  The Rockets were 22-1 last season when scoring 70 or more points and 14-1 when allowing less than 70 points.
•  Toledo's 47 victories over the last two seasons entering this year was tied for 18th in the nation and was one win away from matching the most wins in back-to-back seasons by a Rocket squad - 23-11 in 2017-18 and 25-8 in 2018-19.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
•    Toledo is 30-3 in its last 33 home contests with its only defeats in Savage Arena coming vs. Dayton and Kent State last year and Bowling Green in the 2020-21 campaign.
•    The Rockets were 13-2 at home last season and 12-1 at home in 2020-21.
•     The Rockets' unbeaten home mark (15-0) under Coach Kowalczyk in 2013-14 was their first since 1966-67 and just the fourth time in school history UT accomplished the feat.
 
ON THE HORIZON
        The Rockets will head to Estero, Fla. for the Gulf Coast Showcase on Monday-Wednesday, Nov. 21-23. Toledo won the tournament in its last appearance in 2018.