TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo men's basketball team (19-6, 10-2 MAC) looks to extend its winning streak to 10 games and maintain its share of first place in the Mid-American Conference when it hosts Miami (8-17, 2-10) on Tuesday, Feb. 14. The Rockets are tied for the top spot in the league with Kent State (20-5, 10-2) and are one game ahead of Akron (17-8, 9-3 MAC) and Ball State (18-7, 9-3).

Toledo's nine-game winning streak is tied for third in the nation, trailing only Eastern Washington (15) and Oral Roberts (10).

UT's latest victory was a 70-63 road win over Eastern Michigan. The Rockets gained control with a 15-2 second-half run to take a 63-55 lead with 4:23 to play. RayJ Dennis registered his fourth career double-double in the win, finishing with 18 points, a career-high tying 10 rebounds and team-best three steals. Setric Millner Jr. and Dante Maddox Jr. each scored 17 points to provide Toledo with a balanced scoring attack.

UT ranks third nationally with a MAC-best 84.3 ppg as well as ranking 13th with 10.2 turnovers per game, and 17th with a 1.48 A/TO ratio and 48.4 FG%.

Individually, Dennis ranks ninth in the nation with a 2.96 A/TO ratio and 13th with 5.8 apg. JT Shumate ranks 13th nationally with an 89.7 FT%. Dennis ranks third in MAC scoring at 18.9 ppg, while Shumate is seventh at 17.2 ppg.

In the Rockets' 81-78 victory at Miami on Jan. 31, Dennis tied his career high with 29 points and dished out six assists. Joining Dennis in double digits were Shumate (19 pts., 6 reb.) and Setric Millner Jr. (12 pts., 5 reb., 4 steals). Ra'Heim Moss topped the Rockets with seven rebounds, including a team-high four on the offensive glass.
 
TOLEDO VS. MIAMI
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023.
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. Mark Beier will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Jay Lehman serving as analyst.
 
SERIES
   Miami leads 68-67. The Rockets posted a 81-78 win at Miami on Jan. 31 for their eighth straight win in Millett Hall.
 
NINE-GAME WINNING STREAK DATA
•  Toledo has a plus-11.7 scoring margin during its current nine-game win streak.
•  The Rockets are averaging 83.8 ppg with a 48.3 FG% and 38.1 3PTFG%.
•  Toledo also has a plus-4.3 turnover margin and is averaging 9.4 turnovers per game.
•  RayJ Dennis leads UT with 20.2 ppg and is followed by Setric Millner Jr. (16.2 ppg), JT Shumate (15.0 ppg), and Dante Maddox Jr. (13.4 ppg).
•  Millner Jr. has a team-best 46.9 3PTFG% (15-of-32) with Maddox Jr. at 45.5%.

TEAM TIDBITS
•  Since the start of 2020-21 season, Toledo holds a 42-9 (.824) record in league play and is 19-6 (.760) in league road games.
•  Toledo is the only MAC school to win 13 or more league games four of last five years.
•  Toledo has an eight-game win streak or longer in three straight years. UT registered a nine-game win streak last year and an eight-game unbeaten stretch in 2020-21.
•  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 won eight of its 10 MAC games by seven points or more this season. Last year, UT won 15 of its 17 league games by eight points or more. In the 2020-21 season, 13 of Toledo's 15 MAC victories were by nine points or more.
•  Toledo is 5-1 in league road games this season. The Rockets are 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.
  
PROTECTING THE BALL
     Toledo ranks 13th in the nation with a MAC-low 10.2 turnovers per game. The Rockets committed 14 turnovers on Saturday at EMU, snapping a five-game streak of registering eight miscues or lower.
     Toledo is committing a league-low 9.0 turnovers/game in MAC play with Kent State (10.7) and Akron (10.8) the only other schools committing less than 11.0 miscues per game in league play. The Rockets also have an impressive 1.65 A/TO ratio in conference action with Akron second at 1.21.
 
ROCKETS IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
•  The Rockets' NINE-game winning streak is tied for THIRD-longest in the nation. UT's  FIVE-game road winning streak is tied for SIXTH-longest nationally.
•  Toledo ranks THIRD in the nation with 84.3 ppg, trailing only Gonzaga (86.3) and Oral Roberts (85.5).
•  The Rockets are also in the Top 25 in fewest TO's/game (13th/10.2), FG% (17th/48.4), A/TO ratio (17th/1.48), effective FG% (20th/55.3), 3PTFG% (21st/37.9).
•  RayJ Dennis ranks ninth with a 2.96 A/TO ratio and 13th with a career-high 5.8 apg.
•  JT Shumate ranks 13th with an 89.7 FT%.
 
ROCKETS IN THE MAC RANKINGS
•  UT tops the MAC with 84.3 ppg, over four points better than Buffalo (79.6), and is also first in FG% (48.4), 3PTFG% (37.9), A/TO ratio (1.48), and fewest TO/game (10.2).
•  UT is the only school to have three players among the MAC's Top 15 scoring leaders — RayJ Dennis (18.9/3rd), JT Shumate (17.2/7th), and Setric Millner Jr. (15.3 ppg/14th).
•  Dennis leads the MAC with 5.9 apg and a 2.96 assist/turnover ratio.
•  Dennis is tied for the MAC lead with 12 20-point outings with Akron's Xavier Castaneda and BGSU's Leon Ayers III. Shumate is tied for fourth in the MAC with 11 20-point contests.
•  Shumate is tied for second with 1.2 bpg and blocked two shots at Akron last Tuesday.
•  Dante Maddox Jr. is fourth with a team-high 43.6 3PTFG%.
•  Ra'Heim Moss is fifth with 1.6 spg and and Dennis is tied for eighth with 1.4 spg.
 
POST TOUCHES
•  RayJ Dennis has scored in double digits in every game this season (15 or more in 21 games) after ending the 2021-22 season by scoring in double digits in a career-high 14 straight games.
•  JT Shumate's streak of scoring in double digits ended at eight games with an eight-point outing at EMU on Saturday. Shumate tied his career high with 33 points (15-of-21 FG) vs. Oakland (Nov. 16) & is tied for fourth in the MAC with 11 20-point outings.
•  Setric Millner Jr. is averaging 17.7 ppg with a 51.2 FG% and 48.1 3PTFG& in his last SEVEN games and has SIX 20-point outings as well as three double-doubles this season.
•  Millner ranks THIRD in the MAC in league play with a 47.8 3PTFG% (22-of-46).
•  Dante Maddox Jr. ranks fourth on the team with 11.0 ppg and fourth in the MAC with a 43.6 3PTFG%. He led UT in scoring for the first time with his 18-point outing at NIU (Jan. 14).
•  Maddox has scored 19 points twice in league play, vs. EMU (Jan. 24) and at Akron (Feb. 7).
 
ROCKETS VS. THE REDHAWKS
     JT Shumate is averaging 19.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 1.6 bpg with a 70.8 FG%, 68.8 3PTFG% (11-of-16) and 86.4 FT% (19-of-22). Shumate set a school record at Miami on Jan. 26, 2021 by hitting all 11 shots (including five treys) in a 90-81 victory over the RedHawks.
     RayJ Dennis is averaging 17.7 ppg and 4.5 apg in three games vs. Miami.
     Setric Millner Jr. is averaging 12.4 ppg and 3.8 rpg in five games vs. Miami.
ON THE HORIZON
     The Rockets will visit Bowling Green (10-15, 4-8 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 18. The Rockets posted a 91-77 home victory over the Falcons on Jan. 28.