CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Toledo men's basketball team (26-6, 16-2 MAC) continues play in the 2023 Mid-American Conference Tournament on Friday, March 10 against No. 5 seed Ohio (19-13, 10-8 MAC). The contest will be televised by the CBS Sports Network and tip off in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse at 5:00 p.m.

The Rockets are riding a school-record 16-game winning streak during which they are scoring 87.3 ppg to go along with a 51.2 FG% and 43.0 three-point FG%. UT has won 26 games for the second-straight season, one away from the school record set in the 2013-14 campaign.

Toledo is the first current MAC school to win three straight outright league titles and is looking to reach the championship game for the seventh time in program history and first since 2018. UT's 16-game winning streak is second in the nation, one behind Oral Roberts.

EJ Farmer came off the bench to score a career-high 19 points and Setric Millner Jr. added 19 of his own to lead Toledo to a 91-75 victory over Miami in yesterday's quartefinal win. Toledo scored the first five points of the contest and never trailed. The Rockets shot a blistering 62.1% (18-of-29) from the field in the first half to take a 48-33 lead into halftime. Toledo led by as many as 20 points in the second half and was never seriously threatened.

Toledo ranks second nationally with 85.9 ppg, trailing only Gonzaga (87.5). UT also is second with a 40.4 3PTFG%, fourth with a 49.8 FG%, and ranks in the nation's Top 10 in four more categories. RayJ Dennis ranks second in the MAC with a team-high 19.3 ppg, while JT Shumate is seventh with 16.5 ppg and Millner Jr. is in 10th at 16.0 ppg.

Toledo notched a 90-75 wire-to-wire home win over the Bobcats on Jan. 17. Dennis tallied 25 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while Shumate added 21 points. UT posted a 55.6 FG% and was 12-of-23 from three-point range. The Rockets bolted to a 13-0 lead and hit nine of their first 10 shots en route to a 26-7 lead with 12:56 remaining in the first half.

TOLEDO VS. OHIO
Date: Friday, March 10, 2023.
Tip-Off: 5:00 p.m.
Location: Cleveland, Ohio.
Arena: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (19,432).
Television: CBS Sports Network. Chris Lewis will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Michael O'Donnell 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
Ohio leads 72-65. Toledo has won nine of its last 11 games vs. Ohio, with its only two defeats in the MAC Tournament. UT lost 67-66 in the 2017 Quarterfinals and 87-80 in the 2021 Semifinals.

16-GAME WINNING STREAK DATA
•  Toledo has a PLUS-14.7 scoring margin during its school-record 16-GAME win streak.
•  The Rockets are averaging 87.3 ppg with a 51.2 FG%, 43.0 3PTFG% and 79.4 FT%.
•  Toledo also has a plus-4.2 turnover margin and is averaging 8.8 turnovers per game.
•  RayJ Dennis leads UT with 20.4 ppg and is followed by Setric Millner Jr. (17.2 ppg), JT Shumate (14.6 ppg), and Dante Maddox Jr. (12.8 ppg).
•   Five Rockets - Millner Jr. (55.2%), Dennis (54.4%), EJ Farmer (53.0%) Maddox Jr. (51.8%), and Shumate (51.3%) - are shooting over 51% from the field during this unbeaten stretch.
•  Millner Jr. has a team-best 51.7 3PTFG% (31-of-60), while Maddox Jr. is at 49.3% (35-of-71). Dennis is at 43.1% (25-of-58) and Farmer is at 40.0% (6-of-15).
 
ROCKETS IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
•  The Rockets' 16-game winning streak ranks SECOND in the nation behind Oral Roberts (17). UT's EIGHT-game road winning streak is tied for SECOND-longest nationally with Merrimack and VCU. Houston is first with an 11-game road streak.
•  UT ranks SECOND in the nation with 85.9 ppg, trailing only Gonzaga (87.5).
•  Toledo is also in the Top 10 in SIX more categories: 3PTFG% (2nd/40.4), FG% (4th/49.8), Effective FG% (5th/57.0), Fewest TO's/game (8th/9.7), A/TO ratio (6th/1.58) and Winning % (9th/81.2). UT also ranks in the Top 25 in FT% (16th/77.4) and FTs made per game (18th/16.5).
•  RayJ Dennis ranks NINTH with a 3.05 A/TO ratio and 12th with a career-high 5.9 apg.
 
ROCKETS IN THE MAC RANKINGS
•  Toledo tops the MAC with 85.9 ppg, a 49.8 FG%, a 40.4 3PTFG%, 15.3 apg, a 1.57 A/TO ratio, and 9.7 TO/game. UT is second in scoring margin (+9.9), FT% (77.4), and turnover margin (+3.1).
•  UT is the only school to have three players among the MAC's Top 15 scoring leaders — RayJ Dennis (19.3/2nd), JT Shumate (16.5/7th), and Setric Millner Jr. (16.0 ppg/10th).
•  Dennis leads the MAC with 5.9 apg and a 3.05 assist/turnover ratio.
•  Dante Maddox Jr. tops the MAC with a 46.1 3PTFG% (59-of-128).
•  Millner Jr. ranked second in MAC play with a 50.0 3PTFG%, just ahead of Maddox Jr. at 49.4%.
•  Ra'Heim Moss and Dennis are tied for sixth with 1.5 spg.
 
TEAM TIDBITS
•  Toledo is the first current MAC member to win three straight outright league titles. Cincinnati won four in a row from the 1947-48 through 1950-51 seasons.
•  The Rockets are the fourth program ever to capture at least a share of three straight MAC titles, matching Cincinnati (1947-51), the 1979-81 Toledo squads and Kent State (2002-04).
•  Toledo's 73 victories over the last three seasons are tied for EIGHTH nationally (as of March 9) and are the most ever by the Rockets in a three-year period.
•  Toledo has registered FIVE 20-win seasons in the last SIX years. In addition, the Rockets are one of 11 programs nationally to win 21 or more each of the last THREE seasons. Other schools to do so are Baylor, Belmont, Drake, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Morehead State, UAB, UCLA, USC.
•  Since the start of the 2020-21 season, Toledo is 48-9 (.842) in league play. The Rockets are 26-3 (.897) in MAC home games and 22-6 (.786) in MAC road games.
•  The Rockets have scored 90 or more points on 11 occasions and have topped the 100-point mark FOUR times. Toledo scored 112 points vs. Oakland (Nov. 16) to match its most points ever scored under Coach Kowalczyk.
 
ROCKETS SCORCHING SHOOTING THE ROCK
•  UT has a 50.0 FG% or higher in SEVEN straight games, posting a 55.0 mark in this stretch.
•  UT has a 50.0 3PTFG% or higher in five of last six games and is shooting 52.6 3PTFG% (61-of-116) during this period.
•  Toledo has an 83.6 FT% in its last TEN games.
 
POST TOUCHES
•  RayJ Dennis has scored in double digits in every game this season (15 or more in 27 games) after ending the 2021-22 season by scoring in double digits in a career-high 14 straight games.
•  Dennis scored a career-high 32 points and dished out seven assists at Ball State (March. 3). His previous career best was 29 points at Miami (Jan. 31) and vs. Canisius (Dec. 10).
•  JT Shumate tied his career high with 33 points (15-of-21 FG) vs. Oakland (Nov. 16) & is tied for third in the MAC with 12 20-point outings.
•  Shumate ranks first in program history with a 43.9 career three-point FG% and an 84.3 career FT%. He is also fourth with a 55.7 career FG% and fourth with 114 blocked shots.
•  Setric Millner Jr. has scored in double digits in a career-high 14 straight games and is averaging 18.1 ppg with a 55.8 FG% and 52.7 3PTFG% during this stretch. He has NINE 20-point outings as well as three double-doubles this season.
•  Millner scored a career-high 32 points with a career-high 6-of-7 3PT shooting clip at CMU (Feb. 28) and ranked SECOND in the MAC in league play with a 50.7 3PTFG% (34-of-67).
•  Dante Maddox Jr. ranks fourth on the team with 11.4 ppg and first in the MAC with a 46.1 3PTFG%. In his last SIX games, he is averaging 11.8 ppg with a 56.8 FG% (21-of-37) & 58.3 3PG% (14-of-24).
•  Ra'Heim Moss is averaging 10.4 ppg with a 52.4 FG% (22-of-42) and 84.6 FT% (22-of-26) in his last SEVEN games.
•  EJ Farmer tallied a career-high 19 points vs. Miami (March 9). He is averaging 13.0 ppg with a 55.6 FG% (15-of-27), an 80.0 3FG% (4-of-5) and an 85.7 FT% (18-of-21) in his last FOUR games.
•  Farmer has made 31 of his last 38 FTs (81.6%) to raise his season FT% from 48.0% to 68.3%.
 
ON THE HORIZON
     If Toledo defeats Ohio in Friday's semifnal, the Rockets will face either No. 2 seed Kent State or No. 3 seed Akron in the championship game on Saturday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.