TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo men's basketball team (12-7, 6-1 MAC) looks to continue its strong start in Mid-American Conference play on Saturday, Jan. 27 when it hosts arch-rival Bowling Green in this season's first edition of the Battle of I-75. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. with streaming on ESPN+.

The Rockets are in second place in the MAC, one game behind league-leading Akron (15-4, 7-0 MAC). The Falcons (14-5, 5-2 MAC) are tied for third place with Central Michigan (10-9, 5-2 MAC) and Western Michigan (8-11, 5-2 MAC). 

A limited number of tickets for the game are still available.  For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Rocket Athletic Ticket Office at the Sullivan Athletic Complex in Savage Arena, contact the Rocket Athletic Ticket Office at 419-530-GOLD (4653), or go online to UTRockets.com/tix.

UT registered its fifth straight victory vs. Northern Illinois with Tuesday's 89-73 victory over the Huskies in DeKalb. Ra'Heim Moss scored 20 points to spearhead a balanced attack that saw four Rockets score 15 points or more. Moss was joined in double digits by Javan Simmons (19 pts.), Tyler Cochran (18 pts.) and Sonny Wilson (15 pts.).

Toledo shot 48.4% from the field and 44.4% (8-of-18) from three-point range. NIU registered a 48.3 shooting mark but was 6-of-25 (24.0%) from behind the arc. The Rockets held a decided advantage at the free-throw line, knocking down 21-of-30 shots at the charity stripe compared to the Huskies' 9-of-13 totals.

Bowling Green is looking to bounce back from Tuesday's 90-84 (OT) home setback to Kent State. The Falcons lead the MAC with 27.9 defensive rpg and rank second with a plus-3.5 rebounding margin. Junior Marcus Hill is the MAC's second-leading scorer with 20.7 ppg, while senior Rashaun Agee has a MAC-best 60.4 FG% and is second with 9.2 rpg.
 
Toledo has won 14 of its last 18 games vs. Bowling Green, including three of the last four meetings by double digits.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024.
Tip-Off: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Bowling Green, 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 97-83. Toledo has won 14 of its last 18 games vs. BGSU and has won three of the last four meetings by double digits. UT has split its last four home games vs. BG & won six of last eight games in Stroh Center.
 
POST TOUCHES
•  Junior Ra'Heim Moss has scored in double digits in 18 of 19 games this season after scoring in double digits on 13 occasions last year.  He has now scored in double digits 45 times in his Rocket career and is seventh in the MAC with 16.5 ppg.
•  Junior Dante Maddox Jr. ranks second in team scoring with a career-high 15.4 ppg. Maddox's streak of scoring in double digits ended at a career-high 12 straight games in Tuesday's win at Northern Illinois.
•  Junior Tyler Cochran leads the MAC with a team-high 2.1 spg. He also leads the team with 6.5 rpg and has grabbed 7.1 rpg in league play.
•  Cochran (7.1 rpg), Moss (5.6 rpg) and Maddox (5.4 rpg) each rank among the MAC's Top 15 rebounders in league play.
•  Redshirt freshman Javan Simmons is fourth on the team with 12.0 ppg. He has scored in double digits in 15 games and has a team-high 57.8 FG% that is 4TH in the MAC.
•  Freshman Sonny Wilson registered his sixth double-digit outing with 15 points at Northern Illinois (Jan. 23). He also scored 13 points in games at Ohio and Kent State and leads the Rockets with a 2.0 A/TO ratio.
 
TEAM TIDBITS
•  Toledo has a 6-1 record in MAC play for the third time in the last four seasons.
•  Toledo leads the MAC with 78.7 ppg, a 76.2 FT% and 7.3 spg and ranks second  with a 46.8 FG% and a plus-2.42 turnover margin.
•  The Rockets rank 30th nationally with a 76.2 free-throw percentage. During Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk's 14-year tenure, UT has ranked in the Top 20 nationally in Toledo 2012-13 (8th), 2018-19 (12th), and 2020-21 (18th).
•  Toledo also ranks 41st nationally in FTs made per game (16.5/game) and 59th in three-point FG% (36.7)
•  UT has made 32 more FTs (313) than their opponents have attempted (281).
•  Toledo is 3-0 in one-point games with road wins over Wright State and Oakland and a home victory over Marshall.
•  Toledo lost for the first time in 21 games when it has allowed under 70 points in its 65-62 setback at Central Michigan (Jan. 19). UT's last defeat when holding its opponent under 70 points was a 66-63 loss at Kent State on Jan. 1, 2022.
 
ON THE HORIZON
     Toledo will host Western Michigan on Tuesday, Jan. 30 before hitting the road for its next three games at Akron (Feb. 2), Eastern Michigan (Feb. 6) and Appalachian State (Feb. 10).