TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo men's basketball team (9-6, 2-0 MAC) will look to remain unbeaten in Mid-American Conference play when it hosts Ball State (8-7, 0-3 MAC) on Saturday, Jan. 13 in the only meeting of the two programs this season. The contest will tip off at 7:00 p.m. in Savage Arena and be streamed on ESPN+. UT is also teaming with Life Connection of Ohio for the seventh-annual "Rockets for Life" game to promote awareness for organ donation in Northwest Ohio. 

Six Rockets scored in double figures on Tuesday night to propel Toledo to a convincing 89-75 triumph at Kent State in the M.A.C. Center. The victory kept UT in a first-place tie in the league standings with Akron (11-4, 3-0 MAC) and Western Michigan (6-9, 3-0 MAC).

Tyler Cochran led the way against KSU with 21 points with his final basket giving him 1,000 points in his collegiate career. Javan Simmons tied his season high with 15 points and was joined in double digits by Ra'Heim Moss (13 pts.), Sonny Wilson (13 pts.), Dante Maddox Jr. (11 pts.) and Andre Lorentsson (10 pts.).

Toledo shot a season-high 58.3% from the field as well as an identical 58.3% (7-of-12) from three-point range. The Rockets also made a season-high 26-of-31 free throws, more than doubling the Golden Flashes' 10-of-13 totals at the line.

Ball State brings a five-game losing streak into Saturday's contest following Tuesday's 80-76 home setback to Akron. The Cardinals held a 71-65 lead with 4:00 remaining before the Zips rallied by hitting three treys in the next two minutes.

Basheer Jihad leads BSU with 19.1 ppg and 8.0 rpg with Jalin Anderson (15.8 ppg), Mickey Pearson Jr. (11.6 ppg), and  Davion Bailey (11.6 ppg) also scoring in double digits.

Toledo has won six of its last 10 games vs. Ball State as well as three of its last four meetings against the Cardinals in Savage Arena.
  
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024.
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Toledo, Ohio.
Arena: Savage Arena (7,014).
Streaming: 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 54-50. UT has won six of its last 10 meetings vs. BSU after dropping five in a row to the Cardinals. Toledo's three-game home winning streak vs. BSU was snapped with the Cardinals' 90-83 win last year.
       
POST TOUCHES
•  Junior Ra'Heim Moss has scored in double digits in 14 of 15 games this season after scoring in double digits on 13 occasions last year.  He has now scored in double digits 41 times in his Rocket career and is third in the MAC with 1.6 spg.
•  Junior Dante Maddox Jr. ranks second in team scoring with a career-high 14.8 ppg. and has scored in double digits in a career-high NINE straight games.
•  Junior Tyler Cochran leads the MAC and ranks 31st nationally with a team-high 2.3 spg. He also leads the team with 6.1 rpg.
•  Maddox is tied for fourth in the conference with 1.5 SPG to join Cochran and Moss in the MAC's Top Five.
•  Redshirt freshman Javan Simmons is fourth on the team with 12.0 ppg. He has scored in double digits in 12 games and has a team-high 59.1 FG% which is THIRD in the MAC.
•  Simmons has shot 50 percent or better from the field in 13 of 15 games, including a season-best 85.7% (6-of-7) in his 15-point outing at Kent State (Jan. 9).
•  Junior Andre Lorentsson ranks second in the MAC with a 50.0 3PTFG% (18-of-36). Lorentsson scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds for a second straight game in Tuesday's win at Kent State. He scored a career-high 17 points (6-8 FG, 4-5 3FG) earlier this season vs. New Mexico (Nov. 21).
•  Freshman Sonny Wilson registered his fifth double-digit outing with 13 points at Kent State (Jan. 9). He also scored 13 points in UT's MAC opener at Ohio and leads the Rockets with a 2.2 A/TO ratio with his last turnover coming vs. Vermont (Dec. 20).
 
TEAM TIDBITS
•  Toledo leads the MAC with 79.3 ppg and a 47.9 FG% and ranks second with a 37.3 3PTFG%, a 77.4 FT%, a plus-2.07 turnover margin and 7.6 spg.
•  The Rockets rank 16th nationally with a 77.4 free-throw percentage. The Rockets' four leading scorers are also their top four free-throw shooters. Cochran leads UT at 82.1% and is followed by Maddox (79.7), Moss (78.9) and Simmons (78.8)
•  Since the start of the 2020-21 season, Toledo is 51-9 (.850) in league play. The Rockets are 27-3 (.900) in MAC home games and 24-6 (.800) in MAC road games.
•  Toledo is 3-0 in one-point games with road wins over Wright State and Oakland and a home victory over Marshall.
•  Toledo is the only MAC school to win 13 or more league games in five of the last six years.
 
STREAKING IN THE MAC
• The Rockets have won a league-record 18 STRAIGHT conference games dating back to last season.
• TEN of the victories during the 18-game streak have come on the road.
• The Rockets' average margin of victory during the streak is 13.7 ppg.
• Toledo's last MAC loss was a 73-65 loss at Kent State on Jan. 10, 2023.
• UT's 3-0 start in MAC play is its best since winning six straight at the start of the 2020-21 season.
•  A win over Ball State would give UT a season-high four-game winning streak.
 
ON THE HORIZON
Toledo will conclude its two-game homestand when it hosts Buffalo on Tuesday, Jan. 16. The Rockets will then be on the road for their next two games at Central Michigan on Friday, Jan. 19, and Northern Illinois on Tuesday, Jan. 23.