TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo men's basketball team (21-6, 12-2 MAC) will puts its 11-game winning streak on the line on Tuesday, Feb. 21 when it hosts third-place Akron (19-8, 11-3) in Savage Arena. Tip-off time is 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+. The Rockets are tied for the top spot in the league with Kent State (22-5, 12-2) and are one game ahead of the Zips with four games remaining in the regular season.
 
Toledo set a school record for longest MAC winning streak in a single season with its 91-86 win at Bowling Green on Saturday. The Rockets broke the previous mark of 10 registered at the end of the 1999-2000 campaign. The school record for most consecutive MAC victories over two seasons is 14, accomplished twice from Jan. 26, 2000-Jan. 13, 2001 and Feb. 4, 2006-Jan. 27, 2007. UT's current streak ranks third nationally behind Eastern Washington (17) and Oral Roberts (12).
 
All five starters scored in double digits for a second game in a row in the Rockets' win over the Falcons. RayJ Dennis led Toledo with 27 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. The Rockets shot 50.9% from the field, marking the fifth time in last seven games UT has shot 50.0% or higher from the floor.
 
Toledo ranks second nationally with a MAC-best 84.7 ppg and also ranks in the nation's Top 25 in eight categories. Individually, Dennis ranks 12th with a 2.94 A/TO ratio and 15th with 5.8 apg. JT Shumate ranks 15th nationally with an 89.5 FT%. Dennis ranks third in MAC scoring at 19.1 ppg, while Shumate is seventh at 17.1 ppg.
 
In the Rockets' 84-74 win at Akron on Feb. 7, Setric Millner Jr. led the way with 20 points and nine rebounds. Dante Maddox Jr. also scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half and helped UT register a 52.0 FG% and a 50.0 3PTFG% (9-of-18).
 
Toledo has won its last six meetings vs. Akron in Savage Arena as well as 11 of its last 14 overall contests vs. the Zips.
 
TOLEDO VS. AKRON
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 21, 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
Toledo leads 40-29. Toledo has won 11 of its last 14 games vs. Akron after losing seven in a row to the Zips. Toledo has won six straight home games vs. Akron with an 84-76 win last year and a 91-76 victory in 2021.
 
11-GAME WINNING STREAK DATA
•  Toledo has a plus-11.6 scoring margin during its current 11-game win streak.
•  The Rockets are averaging 84.9 ppg with a 48.7 FG% and 39.4 3PTFG%.
•  Toledo also has a plus-4.2 turnover margin and is averaging 9.2 turnovers per game.
•  RayJ Dennis leads UT with 20.5 ppg and is followed by Setric Millner Jr. (16.0 ppg), JT Shumate (15.2 ppg), and Dante Maddox Jr. (13.4 ppg).
• Five Rockets - EJ Farmer (53.8%), Millner Jr. (51.7%), Dennis (51.2%), Maddox Jr. (51.2%) and Shumate (50.5%) - are shooting over 50% from the field during this stretch.
•  Maddox Jr. has a team-best 48.0 3PTFG% (24-of-50) with Millner Jr. at 45.9% (17-of-37).
 
ROCKETS IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
•  The Rockets' 11-game winning streak is THIRD-longest in the nation, trailing Eastern Washington (17) and Oral Roberts (12). UT's SIX-game road winning streak is tied for FOURTH-longest nationally. Houston is first with a nine-game road streak.
•  Toledo ranks SECOND in the nation with 84.7 ppg, trailing only Gonzaga (87.1).
•  The Rockets are also in the Top 25 in EIGHT categores: Fewest TO's/game (11th/10.0), 3PTFG% (13th/38.5), A/TO ratio (14th/1.49), FTs made per game (16.6/15th), FG% (16th/48.6), Effective FG% (17th/55.5), Winning % (20th/77.8), and FT% (21st/76.5).
•  RayJ Dennis ranks 12th with a 2.94 A/TO ratio and 15th with a career-high 5.8 apg.
•  JT Shumate ranks 15th with an 89.5 FT%.
 
ROCKETS IN THE MAC RANKINGS
•  UT tops the MAC with 84.7 ppg, six points better than Ohio (78.7), and is also first in FG% (48.6), 3PTFG% (38.5), A/TO ratio (1.49), and fewest TO/game (10.0).
•  UT is the only school to have three players among the MAC's Top 15 scoring leaders — RayJ Dennis (19.1/3rd), JT Shumate (17.1/7th), and Setric Millner Jr. (15.3 ppg/14th).
•  Dennis leads the MAC with 5.8 apg and a 2.94 assist/turnover ratio.
•  Dennis is tied for the MAC lead with 13 20-point outings with Akron's Xavier Castaneda. Shumate is tied for fourth in the MAC with 11 20-point contests.
•  Shumate is tied for second with 1.2 bpg with Akron's Enrique Freeman. Shumate blocked two shots in Toledo's first meeting vs. the Zips in Akron.
•  Dante Maddox Jr. is third with a team-high 44.9 3PTFG%. Maddox also ranks second in league play with a 47.5 3PTFG%, just ahead of Millner Jr. at 47.1%.
•  Ra'Heim Moss is sixth with 1.6 spg, and Dennis is tied for seventh with 1.4 spg.
 
TEAM TIDBITS
•  Toledo has registered FIVE 20-win seasons in the last SIX years. In addition, the Rockets are one of NINE programs nationally to win 21 or more each of the last THREE seasons.
•  Toledo's 68 victories over the last three seasons are tied for 13th nationally (as of 2/19).
•  Since the start of the 2020-21 season, Toledo is 44-9 (.830) in league play. The Rockets are 24-3 (.889) in MAC home games and 20-6 (.769) in MAC 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.
 
ON THE HORIZON
     Toledo will play its final home game vs. Buffalo (12-15, 6-8 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 2:00 p.m. The Rockets' final two games of the regular season are at Central Michigan (10-17, 5-9 MAC) on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 7:00 p.m. and Ball State (19-8, 10-4 MAC) on Friday, March 3 at 6:00 p.m.