TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo men's basketball team (15-6, 6-2 MAC) looks to extend its season-high five-game winning streak when it travels to Oxford, Ohio on Tuesday, Jan. 31 to face Miami (7-14, 1-7 MAC). Tip-off time is set for 7:00 p.m. with streaming available on ESPN+. The Rockets are in sole possession of third place in the Mid-American Conference standings, one game behind Kent State (17-4, 7-1) and Akron (15-6, 7-1).

Toledo is coming off a 91-77 victory over arch-rival Bowling Green before a season-high 6,922 fans in Savage Arena. Setric Millner, Jr. and RayJ Dennis led the way with 21 points apiece, while EJ Farmer also came off the bench to score a career-high 15 points and match his career best with five rebounds. Also scoring in double figures were JT Shumate (14 pts., career-high six assists) and Dante Maddox Jr. (11 pts.).

Toledo shot over 50 percent from the field for the 10th time this season, finishing with a 53.0 mark. The Rockets were efficient in each half, converting 51.5% in the opening 20 minutes and 54.5% in the final stanza.

UT is third nationally with 85.1 ppg as well as ranking 13th with a 1.49 A/TO ratio, 14th with 10.3 turnovers per game, and 17th with a 48.7 FG% ratio. Individually, Dennis ranks eighth in the nation with a 3.10 A/TO ratio and 12th with 5.9 apg. Shumate ranks ninth nationally with a 91.8 FT% and has made 31 of 32 FTs in MAC play. Dennis ranks fourth in league scoring at 18.4 ppg, while Shumate is sixth at 18.0 ppg.

Miami has lost five in a row since posting a 91-80 victory over Buffalo on Jan. 10.  Each of the RedHawks' losses in this stretch have been by 10 points or less. Senior Mekhi Lairy leads Miami with 17.4 ppg, 4.2 apg, 1.5 spg and a 91.8 FT%.

TOLEDO VS. MIAMI
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Oxford, Ohio
Arena: Millett Hall (6,400)
Television: ESPN+. Steve Baker will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Randy Hollowell 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.

ROCKETS VS. THE REDHAWKS

* JT Shumate is averaging 19.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 1.8 ppg with a 72.2 FG%, 69.2 3PTFG% (9-of-13) and 90.0 FT% (18-of-20). Shumate set a school record at Miami on Jan. 26 by hitting all 11 shots (including five treys) in a 90-81 victory over the RedHawks.
* Setric Millner Jr. is averaging 12.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg in four games vs. Miami.
* Ra'Heim Moss grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds and scored 10 points vs. Miami (Feb. 26) and is averaging 8.0 ppg and 10.0 rpg in two games.
 
FIVE-GAME WINNING STREAK DATA
•  Toledo has a plus-12.0 scoring margin during its current five-game win streak.
•  The Rockets are averaging 87.0 ppg with a 49.3 FG% and 38.9 3PTFG%.
•  RayJ Dennis leads UT with 19.8 ppg and is followed by JT Shumate (16.4 ppg), Setric Millner Jr. (15.8 ppg) and Dante Maddox Jr. (14.6 ppg).
•  EJ Farmer leads UT with a 60.9 FG% during this stretch, while Millner Jr. has a 57.7 FG% and a 52.9 3PTFG% (9-of-17) during this stretch.
 
PROTECTING THE BALL
•  Toledo ranks 14th in the nation with a MAC-low 10.3 turnovers per game. UT committed five turnovers vs. BG on Saturday after tying its season low with four miscues in Tuesday's win over EMU.
• Toledo is committing a league-low 8.75 turnovers/game in MAC play with Akron (9.75) and Kent State (9.88) the only other schools committing less than 11.5 miscues per game in league play.
•  The Rockets also have an impressive 1.77 A/TO ratio in conference action with Akron second at 1.27.
 
ROCKETS IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
•  Toledo ranks THIRD in the nation with 85.1 ppg, trailing Gonzaga (86.3) and Southern Utah (85.7).
•  The Rockets are also in the Top 30 in A/TO ratio (13th/1.49), fewest TO's/game (14th/10.3), FG% (17th/48.5), effective FG% (22nd/55.5), 3PTFG% (27th/38.0), and FTs made/game (30th/15.8).
•  RayJ Dennis ranks eighth with a 3.03 A/TO ratio and 12th with a career-high 5.9 apg.
•  JT Shumate ranks ninth with a 91.8 FT%.
 
ROCKETS IN THE MAC RANKINGS
•  UT tops the MAC with 85.1 ppg, over five points better than Buffalo (79.7), and is also first in FG% (48.7), 3PTFG% (38.0), assists (15.4 apg), A/TO ratio (1.49) and fewest TO/game (10.3).
•  UT is the only school to have three players among the MAC's Top 20 scoring leaders — RayJ Dennis (18.5/4th), JT Shumate (18.0/6th), and Setric Millner Jr. (15.0 ppg/T-15th).
•  Dennis leads the MAC with 5.9 apg and a 3.1 assist/turnover ratio.
•  Shumate is the only player in the MAC to rank in the Top 10 in FG% (54.9/6th), 3PTFG% (42.2%/7th) and FT% (91.8/2nd).
•  Dennis and Shumate are tied for the MAC lead with 11 20-point outings with Bowling Green's Leon Ayers III.
•  Shumate is third with 1.2 bpg.
•  Dante Maddox Jr. is tied for fourth with a team-high 42.9 3PTFG%. Shumate and Millner, Jr. also rank among the MAC leaders with 42.1% (7th) and 39.0% (12th) marks, respectively.
•  Ra'Heim Moss is third with 1.7 spg and and Dennis is tied for 11th with 1.4 spg.
 
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ROCKETS IN LEAGUE PLAY
•  Toledo leads the MAC in league play with 85.4 ppg and an amazing 1.77 A/TO ratio.
•  Setric Millner, Jr. (51.6%/4th), Dante Maddox Jr. (44.7%/10th) and JT Shumate (44.4%/11th) each rank in the Top 15 in three-point FG%.
•  UT ranks fifth in FG% defense at 45.4 and has held three opponents under 40 percent.

TEAM TIDBITS
•  Toledo's 84-79 win over EMU (Jan. 24) was just its second game this season decided by five points or less. The Rockets also defeated Canisius, 69-68, on Dec. 10.
•  UT also improved its record to 2-5 when trailing with five minutes remaining.
•  The Rockets' rally from an 11-point deficit matched its largest comeback win of the season. UT also rallied from 11 points down to post a 93-85 win over UAB on Nov. 11.
•  Toledo moved up four spots to No. 19 in the latest CollegeInsiders.com poll (Jan 23). Kent State is the only other MAC team in the rankings at No. 4.
•  Toledo is the only MAC school to win 13 or more league games four of last five years.
•  Toledo is looking to become the first school to win three straight outright league titles since Cincinnati won four in a row from the 1947-48 through 1950-51 seasons.
•  Toledo has a five-game win streak or longer in three straight seasons. UT registered a nine-game win streak last year and an eight-game unbeaten stretch in the 2020-21 campaign.
•  The Rockets have scored 90 or more points on seven occasions and have topped the 100-point mark three times. Toledo scored 112 points vs. Oakland (Nov. 16) to match its most points ever scored under Coach Kowalczyk.
•  UT is averaging 90.9 ppg in its 10 home games and 79.7 ppg in seven road contests.
•  Toledo has four MAC Player of Week honorees this season - RayJ Dennis (Nov. 14, Dec. 12, Jan. 23) and JT Shumate (Nov. 21). Shumate has also earned MAC Male Scholar-Athlete of Week honors on two occasions (Dec. 14, Jan. 11).
•  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.
 
ON THE HORIZON
     Toledo will return home this weekend to meet Central Michigan (8-13, 3-5 MAC) in their sixth-annual Rockets for Life game on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 7:00 p.m. The Rockets will then play two road games next week, traveling to Akron (15-6, 7-1 MAC) on Tuesday, Feb. 7 and Eastern Michigan (5-16, 2-6 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 11.