TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo men's basketball team (6-3) plays its last home game before Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 10 when it hosts Canisius (2-6, 0-2 MAAC) in Savage Arena. Tip-off time is set for 2:00 p.m. with streaming on ESPN3. Kids can visit with Santa Claus at the game and a Teddy Bear Toss will be held at halftime.

The Rockets have won three of their last four games, with wins over Northern Kentucky (82-69), Richmond (90-67) and Northern Iowa (83-75) and an 80-73 setback at George Mason.

In Tuesday's eight-point win over the Panthers, Toledo shot 51.7 percent from the field, including 60 percent in the second half, and 41.7 percent (10-of-24) from three-point range. UT also hit all 13 of its free-throw attempts.

JT Shumate led the Rockets with 24 points and six rebounds with junior RayJ Dennis (21 pts.) and sophomore EJ Farmer (14 pts.) also in double digits. Farmer's 14 points were a career high and the second time he has scored in double digits.

Toledo is ranked 11th nationally with a 78.8 FT% and 13th with a 84.9 ppg and also leads the MAC with a 37.8 three-point FG%, 15.1 apg and a 1.33 assist/turnover ratio.

Individually, JT Shumate ranks third in the MAC in scoring with 19.4 ppg and fifth nationally with a 96.0 free-throw percentage (24-of-25). RayJ Dennis also appears in the national rankings at No. 17 with a MAC-high 5.9 apg and is fourth in the MAC with 18.0 ppg. Setric Millner Jr. ranks 12th in the conference with 15.0 ppg. He is also fifth with a team-high 7.4 rpg, with Shumate ranking third with 1.3 bpg.

Canisius enters Saturday's game on a four-game losing streak following last Sunday's 90-60 setback at Iona. The Golden Griffins have faced one MAC opponent, dropping an 86-66 decision at Buffalo on Nov. 27. Graduate transfer Jamir Moultrie leads Canisius with 13.3 ppg and a 43.4 3PTFG% (23-of-53). Redshirt freshman Tahj Staveskie and graduate transfer Jordan Henderson are also scoring in double digits with 13.0 and 12.4 ppg, respectively. Staveskie has received MAAC Rookie of the Week honors three times in four weeks.
 
TOLEDO VS. CANISIUS
Date: Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022.
Tip-Off: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Toledo, Ohio.
Arena: Savage Arena (7,014).
Streaming: 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. Mark Beier will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Jay Lehman serving as analyst.
 
SERIES
Toledo leads 4-1. The Rockets won the last meeting between the schools with a 58-47 win on Dec. 18, 1996. The first matchup between Toledo and Canisius was a 50-34 Rocket win on Feb. 7, 1948.
 
ROCKETS IN THE MAC RANKINGS
•  Toledo leads the MAC with 84.9 ppg, over seven points better than Ohio (77.8).
•  The Rockets are also first with a 37.8 3PTFG%, 15.3 apg, a 1.35 assist/turnover ratio, and fewest turnovers per game (11.3).
•  UT ranks second with a 48.5 FG%, 78.8 FT% and a plus-3.1 turnover margin.
•  The Rockets are third with 7.8 spg.
•  Toledo is the only school to have three representatives among the MAC's Top 15 scoring leaders — JT Shumate (19.4/3rd), RayJ Dennis (18.0/4th), and Setric Millner Jr. (15.0 ppg/12th).
•  Dennis leads the MAC with 5.9 apg and a 2.8 assist/turnover ratio.
•  Shumate ranks first in the MAC with a 96.0 FT%, tied for third with 1.5 bpg and fourth with a 57.1 FG%. He is only person among the top five FG% leaders with over 80 shots taken.
•  Millner Jr is fifth with 7.9 rpg and eighth with an 86.7 FT%.
•  Dante Maddox Jr. is fifth in the MAC with a team-best 44.4 three-point FG%.
 
TEAM TIDBITS
•  Toledo was ranked No. 13 in this week's CollegeInsiders.com poll. Kent State is the only other MAC team in the rankings at No. 4.
•  The Rockets have scored 90 or more points on three occasions, including 112 points vs. Oakland to match their most points ever scored under Coach Kowalczyk.
•  Toledo has shot over 80 percent from the free-throw line in six of nine games, including all 13 of its attempts from the charity stripe at Northern Iowa on Tuesday.
•  Toledo is the only MAC school to win 13 or more league games four of last five years.
 
ON THE HORIZON
Toledo will take a week off for final exams before playing its last two games before Christmas at Marshall (7-1) on Saturday, Dec. 17 and at Vermont (5-7) on Tuesday, Dec. 20.