TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo men's basketball (16-6, 7-2 MAC) looks to extend its winning streak to seven games when it hosts Central Michigan (8-14, 3-6 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 4 as part of the sixth-annual Rockets for Life contest. The Rockets are in sole possession of third place in the Mid-American Conference standings, one game behind Kent State (18-4, 8-1) and Akron (16-6, 8-1). The Zips host the Golden Flashes on Friday night in James A. Rhodes Arena.

UT won its third straight road game on Tuesday with an 81-78 victory over Miami, marking the Rockets' 18th-straight win over the RedHawks. RayJ Dennis tied his career high with 29 points and dished out six assists to lead the Rockets. Dennis took over down the stretch and scored 14 of the Rockets' last 17 points after Miami had cut Toledo's lead to 66-60.

Toledo shot 51.6 percent from the field, marking the 11th time this season its has made over half of its shots. The Rockets also converted at a 40.9 percent clip (9-of-22) from three-point range.

Toledo ranks fourth nationally with a MAC-best 85.0 ppg as well as ranking 12th with 10.2 turnovers per game, 13th with a 1.50 A/TO ratio, and 14th with a 48.8 FG%. Individually, Dennis ranks fourth in the nation with a 3.17 A/TO ratio and 13th with 5.9 apg. JT Shumate ranks ninth nationally with a 90.7 FT%. Dennis ranks third in league scoring at 19.0 ppg, while Shumate is sixth at 18.0 ppg.

CMU is tied for eighth in the MAC standings following Tuesday's 81-69 loss at Kent State. Junior guard Jesse Zarzuela is leading the Chippewas with 16.3 ppg, while senior forward Brian Taylor is averaging 14.0 ppg and a team-high 6.2 rpg.

Toledo won all three meetings vs. CMU last year, including a 72-71 victory in the MAC Quarterfinals. Dennis scored the game-winner bucket with 10 seconds left.
 
TOLEDO VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Date: Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023.
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Toledo, Ohio.
Arena: Savage Arena (7,014).
Television: ESPN3. 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 68-40. Toledo has won 10 of its last 12 games vs. CMU after winning all three meetings last year. The Rockets have posted double-digit victories in seven of their 10 wins during this stretch.
 
SIX-GAME WINNING STREAK DATA
•  Toledo has a plus-10.5 scoring margin during its current six-game win streak.
•  The Rockets are averaging 86.0 ppg with a 49.7 FG% and 38.7 3PTFG%.
•  Toledo also has a plus-4.2 turnover margin and is averaging 9.2 turnovers per game.
•  RayJ Dennis leads UT with 21.3 ppg and is followed by JT Shumate (16.8 ppg), Setric Millner Jr. (15.2 ppg) and Dante Maddox Jr. (13.2 ppg).
•  AJ Edu (60.0%) and EJ Farmer (56.7%) lead UT in FG% during this stretch, while Millner Jr. has a 54.7 FG% and a team-best 47.6 3PTFG% (10-of-21) during this stretch.
 
PROTECTING THE BALL
     Toledo ranks 12th in the nation with a MAC-low 10.2 turnovers per game. In its last three games, UT has committed just 5.7 miscues per game, with four vs. EMU (Jan. 24), five vs. Bowling Green (Jan. 28) and eight at Miami (Jan. 31).
     Toledo is committing a league-low 8.67 turnovers/game in MAC play with Kent State (9.33) and Akron (10.33) 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 1.31 followed by KSU at 1.26.
 
ROCKETS IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
•  Toledo ranks FOURTH in the nation with 85.0 ppg, trailing Gonzaga (86.3), Oral Roberts (85.2) and Southern Utah (85.1).
•  The Rockets are also in the Top 25 in fewest TO's/game (12th/10.2), A/TO ratio (13th/1.50), FG% (14th/48.8), effective FG% (16th/55.6), and 3PTFG% (24th/38.1).
•  RayJ Dennis ranks third with a 3.17 A/TO ratio and 13th with a career-high 5.9 apg.
•  JT Shumate ranks ninth with a 90.7 FT%.
 
ROCKETS IN THE MAC RANKINGS
•  UT tops the MAC with 85.0 ppg, six points better than Buffalo (79.0), and is also first in FG% (48.8), 3PTFG% (38.1), assists (15.3 apg), A/TO ratio (1.50) and fewest TO/game (10.2).
•  UT is the only school to have three players among the MAC's Top 16 scoring leaders — RayJ Dennis (19.0/3rd), JT Shumate (18.0/6th), and Setric Millner Jr. (14.9 ppg/16th).
•  Dennis leads the MAC with 5.9 apg and a 3.2 assist/turnover ratio.
•  Shumate is the only player in the MAC to rank in the Top 10 in FG% (55.4/6th), 3PTFG% (42.9%/7th) and FT% (90.7/3rd).
•  Dennis leads the MAC lead with 12 20-point outings with Shumate tied with Bowling Green's Leon Ayers III with 11 20-point contests.
•  Shumate is third with 1.2 bpg.
•  Dante Maddox Jr. is fifth with a team-high 43.7 3PTFG%. Shumate and Millner, Jr. also rank among the MAC leaders with 42.9% (7th) and 38.4% (T-14th) marks, respectively.
•  Ra'Heim Moss is third with 1.7 spg and and Dennis is tied for ninth with 1.5 spg.
 
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ROCKETS IN LEAGUE PLAY
•  UT leads the MAC in league play with 84.9 ppg, a 49.4 FG% and a 1.77 A/TO ratio.
•  Setric Millner Jr. (48.6%/5th), Dante Maddox Jr. (46.3%/9th) and JT Shumate (46.2%/10th) each rank in the Top 10 in three-point FG%.

TEAM TIDBITS
•  Toledo is 3-0 in games decided by five points or less. UT posted a 69-68 win over Canisius (Dec. 10), an 81-78 win at Miami (Jan. 31) and an 84-79 win over EMU (Jan. 24).
•  The Rockets' rally from an 11-point deficit vs. EMU matched their largest comeback win of the year. UT also rallied from 11 points down to post a 93-85 win over UAB (Nov. 11).
•  Toledo moved up one spot to No. 18 in the latest CollegeInsiders.com poll (Jan. 30). Kent State is the only other MAC team in the rankings at No. 6.
•  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 six-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 EIGHT 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 79.9 ppg in eight 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.
 
POST TOUCHES
•  RayJ Dennis has scored in double digits in every game this season (15 or more in 18 games) after ending the 2021-22 season by scoring in double digits in a career-high 14 straight games.
•  Dennis tied his career high with 29 points to go along with six assists at Miami (Jan. 31). He previously tallied 29 points, a season-best nine rebounds and six assists vs. Canisius (Dec. 10).
•  JT Shumate dished out a career-high six assists vs. BGSU (Jan. 28) and sank a career-best nine free throws vs. EMU (Jan. 24). He tied his career high with 33 points (15-of-21 FG) vs. Oakland (Nov. 16) & is tied for second in the MAC with 11 20-point outings.
•  Last year, Shumate ranked in the MAC's Top 15 in seven categories. He was first with a 48.2 three-point FG%, second with 1.3 bpg, fourth with a 55.4 FG%, and fifth with an 82.0 FT%.
•  Setric Millner Jr. has FIVE 20-point outings as well as three double-doubles this season. He leads UT with a 6.1 rpg and ranks third in team scoring with 14.9 ppg. Last year, Millner scored a career-high 28 points at WMU (Feb. 22) and tied his career best with five triples.
•  Millner, Jr. has a 54.9 FG% (45-of-82) and 51.6 3PTFG% (16-of-31) in his last eight contests.
•  Dante Maddox Jr. ranks fourth on the team with 10.9 ppg and tied for fourth in the MAC with a 42.9 3PTFG%. He led UT in scoring for the first time with his 18-point outing at NIU (Jan. 14) scored in double digits in a season-high five straight games from Jan. 14-28.
•  Ra'Heim Moss scored a season-high 18 points vs. Lourdes and ranks third in the MAC with a team-high 1.7 spg. Moss is tied for second on the team in league play with 4.9 apg and is second with 2.9 apg.
•  EJ Farmer tallied a career-high 15 points and was a plus-32 vs. BGSU (Jan. 28) for his fifth double-digit outing of the year. He also tied his season high by grabbing five boards vs. BG.
•  AJ Edu grabbed a season-high nine rebounds and scored seven points at NIU (Jan. 14). He also blocked a season-high three shots at Buffalo (Jan. 20).

ON THE HORIZON
     Toledo will play three of its next four games on the road beginning with trips to Akron (16-6, 8-1 MAC) on Tuesday, Feb. 7 and Eastern Michigan (6-16, 3-6 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 11. The Rockets will then host Miami (7-15, 1-8 MAC) on Tuesday, Feb. 14 before visiting Bowling Green (10-12, 4-5 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 18.