Rockets Edge Wright State in 78-77 Nailbiter

Tuesday, November 14

Dayton, Ohio

7:00 p.m.

University of Toledo

3-0,0-0MAC

Wright State

0-2,0-0Horizon

Toledo

Wright St.

Photo by: WSU Athletics

11/14/2023 10:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Junior Dante Maddox Jr. leads way with 20 points

DAYTON, Ohio – Junior Dante Maddox Jr. scored a team-high 20 points and the Toledo men's basketball team came up with two big defensive stops in the final minute on Tuesday night to pull out a 78-77 road win over Wright State (0-2). The victory improved the Rockets' record to 3-0 overall, marking the first time since the 2017-18 season that UT has opened a season with three consecutive wins.

Joining Maddox in double digits were junior Ra'Heim Moss and redshirt freshman Javan Simmons with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Moss also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, while Maddox dished out a team-best four assists.

Preseason Horizon League Player of the Year Trey Calvin led Wright State offensively with 22 points.

"We talked this summer about being a team that can win games on the offensive and defensive ends of the court," Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk said. "Those were two big-time stops against a great scorer in Trey Calvin. We played hard and competed. That's what you need to do to win on the road."

The back-and-forth contest featured 19 lead changes with the Rockets taking the lead for good, 70-69, on a Maddox dunk with 6:23 to play. Maddox then increased UT's lead to 75-71 by burying a three-pointer with 5:11 left.

Toledo is now idle until next week when it faces New Mexico on Tuesday, Nov. 21 in its opening game of the Ball Dawgs Classic in Henderson, Nev.

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST HALF

Toledo fell behind 14-7 five minutes into the game.
The Rockets answered quickly with a 6-0 spurt capped off by a Grgur Brcic slam to trail by one.
Tyler Cochran's layup gave UT a 22-20 lead with 10:39 to play in the first half.
Neither team led by more than two points until Trey Calvin's jumper put WSU on top 31-28 at the 5:14 mark.
Javan Simmons' three-pointer provided Toledo its largest lead of the half, 41-37, with 1:19 remaining.

SECOND HALF

Toledo took its largest lead of the night, 47-42, on Dante Maddox Jr.'s four-point play with 18:17 remaining.
Wright State appeared ready to seize control when it took a 62-58 lead with 11:14 left on a Calvin jumper.
Toledo responded immediately with a 6-0 spurt on baskets from junior Tyler Cochran, Simmons, and freshman Sonny Wilson for a 64-62 lead at the 8:31 mark.
Ra'Heim Moss' steal led to a Maddox breakaway dunk that put the Rockets in front ahead for good, 70-69, with 6:23 to play.
Maddox's three-pointer extended UT's lead to 75-71 with 5:11 remaining.
Moss converted 1-of-2 free throws for a 78-75 advantage at the 1:36 mark, but Calvin answered with a jumper to make it a one-point game with 1:25 to play.
Toledo didn't convert on its final two possessions but forced Calvin to miss his last two shots of the contest.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Dante Maddox Jr. matched his Toledo scoring high with 20 points.
Javan Simmons made 7-of-10 shots from the field and his 15 points were his most as a Rocket.
Toledo snapped a three-game losing streak in its all-time series vs. Wright State and now trails in the all-time series by an 8-7 margin.
Toledo registered 10 steals for its third-straight game with double-digit steals.
Tyler Cochran led the Rockets with four steals, while Ra'Heim Moss grabbed three.
The Rockets grabbed a season-high 15 offensive rebounds with Grgur Brcic leading the way with four.