TOLEDO, Ohio –The Toledo men's basketball team (18-4, 10-1 MAC) looks to extend its nine-game winning streak when it travels to Muncie, Ind. on Friday, Feb. 4 to face Ball State (10-11, 5-5 MAC). The nationally-televised matchup will tip off at 9:00 p.m. on ESPNU.

      The Rockets, who ranked No. 8 in the latest CollegeInsiders.com Mid-Major Poll, are a win away from tying a program record for best conference start. Toledo leads Ohio (18-3, 9-1 MAC) by a half-game in the league standings and has won its last five road contests.

      Junior JT Shumate led the Rocket attack with 24 points in Tuesday's 86-66 win at Eastern Michigan. He was joined in double digits by sophomore Ryan Rollins (19 pts.), redshirt freshman Ra'Heim Moss (15 pts.) and junior RayJ Dennis (12 pts.). Moss also grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds to register his first double-double as a Rocket and help Toledo dominate the glass by a 46-29 margin. 

      Toledo shot 53.9 percent from the field, marking the fourth game in a row the Rockets have made over half of their shots.

      Rollins ranks 21st nationally with a MAC-best 20.0 ppg. Shumate ranks second on the team with 15.4 ppg and is grabbing a team-best 6.3 rpg. Also scoring in double digits are Setric Millner Jr. (13.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and junior RayJ Dennis (12.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.7 apg).

      Toledo posted an 83-70 home win over Ball State on Jan. 18. Rollins (24 pts., 10 reb., 7 asst.) and Dennis each registered double-doubles in the victory.

      Ball State's three-game win streak was snapped with Tuesday's 87-63 defeat at Ohio. The Cardinals are 7-2 at home and are paced in scoring by freshman Payton Sparks (12.6 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and sophomore Tyler Cochran (12.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg).
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday, Feb. 4, 2022.
Tip-Off: 9:00 p.m.
Location: Muncie, Ind.
Arena: Worthen Arena (11,500).
Television: ESPNU. Robert Lee will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Richie Schueler 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 53-48. Toledo has won its last three meetings vs. the Cardinals, including an 83-70 home win on Jan. 18. The Rockets have lost five of their last six games in Muncie with their lone win coming in 2018.

TALKING STREAKS
•  Toledo's current nine-game winning streak is tied for 11th in the nation and is also tied for third in program history for most consecutive MAC wins.
•  Toledo has won 14 straight MAC games twice over the course of two seasons (2/4/06-1/27/07 & 1/26/00-1/13/01).
•  UT's single-season record for consecutive wins is 10 in 1999-2000.
•  UT's two longest streaks under Coach Kowalczyk are 12 (2013-14) and 10 (2018-19).
•  The Rockets' five-game road winning streak is tied for sixth nationally.
 
ROCKETS IN MAC TEAM RANKINGS
•  Toledo leads the MAC in FG% (47.8), FG% defense (39.7), FT percentage (77.9), scoring margin (+12.6), assists/game (14.8), def. rebounds/game (29.7) and A/TO ratio (1.34).
•  Toledo ranks second in the league in scoring offense (80.6), 3PTFG% defense (29.3) and rebounding margin (+4.8).
•  The Rockets lead the MAC in league play in EIGHT categories: scoring offense (83.1), FG% (49.6), FG% defense (38.8), 3PTFG% (37.1), scoring margin (+15.4), assists/game (14.8), assist/turnover ratio (1.47), and defensive rpg (29.3).
•  Toledo is second in league play in FT% (79.6), turnover margin (+2.0), and three-point FG% defense (28.3).
 
ROCKETS IN NCAA RANKINGS
•  Toledo ranks sixth nationally with 29.7 defensive rpg, 12th with a 77.9 FT% and 15^th in scoring offense (80.6)
•  Toledo is also 22nd in scoring margin (+12.5), 23rd in rebounds/game (40.1), 27th in 3PTFG% defense (29.3), 29th in FG% (47.8), 31st in FG% defense (39.7), 32nd in A/TO ratio (1.34) and 34th in fewest turnovers/game (11.0).
 
REBOUNDING BY COMMITTEE
•  Toledo and Tenn.-Martin are the only schools in the nation with five players averaging 5.0 rpg or more.
•  JT Shumate (6.2), Setric Millner Jr. (6.1), RayJ Dennis (5.9) and Ryan Rollins (5.8) are each ranked in the Top 20 in MAC rebounding. Ra'Heim Moss is at 5.0 rpg.
 
POST TOUCHES
•  Toledo has opened league play with a 10-1 record for a second straight season. The Rockets' best start ever to a MAC season is 11-1 in 1966-67, 1979-80 and 2020-21.
•  Toledo is 5-1 in conference road games this season after posting a 6-3 mark in league contests away from home last year.
•  The Rockets are 15-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points and 10-1 when allowing less than 70 points.
•  Toledo is 9-0 when its opponent commits more turnovers and 13-0 when committing 11 or less miscues.
•  Ryan Rollins leads the MAC with 13 20-point outings and has scored in double digits in 46 of 52 career games. Rollins was held under 14 points vs. a Division I opponent for the only time this season when he scored five points at Richmond (Dec. 11).
•  Setric Millner Jr. has improved his three-point and free-throw shooting from a year ago. He has a 34.7 3FG% (25/72) and 79.7 FT% (55/69) compared to 27.3 (21/77) and 66.7 (70/105) marks last year.
•  JT Shumate ranks in the MAC's Top 15 in seven categories.  He is first with a 48.4 three-point FG%, third with a 56.0 FG%, tied for fifth with 1.1 bpg, fifth with an 83.6 FT%, eight with 2.3 offensive rpg, 11th with 15.4 ppg and 12th with 6.3 rpg.
•  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 seventh in the MAC with a team-high 3.7 apg and 5.0 defensive rpg.
•  Ra'Heim Moss and RayJ Dennis lead all MAC guards and rank sixth and seventh in the MAC with 52.3  and 50.7 FG%, respectively.
•  Moss scored a season-high 20 points and grabbed seven boards vs. Akron (Jan. 28) and is averaging 15.7 ppg and 7.0 rpg with a 69.2 FG% (18-of-26) in his last three games.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
    The Rockets have posted a 37-29 (.561) win-loss mark in road games over the last three-plus seasons. Over the last seven-plus years, Toledo possesses a 65-60 (.520) win-loss mark on enemy courts.
 
ON THE HORIZON
    The Rockets will return home for a matchup against second-place Ohio (17-3, 8-1 MAC) on Tuesday, Feb. 8 before concluding a stretch with three of four games on the road with a trip to DeKalb, Ill. to face Northern Illinois (6-13, 3-6 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 12.