TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo men's basketball team (7-6, 1-0 MAC) will look to build upon Tuesday's 86-77 road victory over Ohio in its Mid-American Conference opener when it hosts Miami (6-7, 0-1 MAC) on Friday, Jan. 5 in the second of three straight nationally-televised contests. The Rockets' matchup vs. the RedHawks will tip off at 7:00 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network. 

Friday's game vs. Miami is Future Rockets Night with the halftime show featuring the Performance Dogs of Ohio. In addition, a Pop-A-Shot Inflatable as well as other activities will be available in the east concourse.
    
Five Rockets scored in double figures in UT's win at Ohio.  The victory gave the three-time defending league champions their sixth-straight win in Athens and their 10th in the last 11 meetings vs. the Bobcats.

Dante Maddox Jr. and Ra'Heim Moss paced Toledo with a game-high 18 points each, while Tyler Cochran (16 pts., team-high seven reb.), Sonny Wilson (13 pts.) and Sam Lewis (11 pts.) also scored in double figures.

Toledo was efficient offensively, shooting 56.9% from the field and committing just nine turnovers.

Moss is leading UT offensively with a career-high scoring mark of 15.8 ppg. Maddox ranks second with a career-high 15.2 ppg, while Cochran is averaging 12.6 ppg, a team-high 6.2 rpg and a team-best 2.5 spg. Javan Simmons is also averaging 11.9 ppg and is leading the team with a 58.6 FG% and 1.1 bpg.

Miami opened league play with an 83-74 home loss to Western Michigan. The RedHawks lead the MAC in assists (15.4), 3PTFG% (38.6) and 3PTFG% defense (29.1). Senior Anderson Mirambeaux paces the RedHawks with 14.3 ppg.

Friday's game vs. Miami is part of the Rockets' Winter Spectacular, during which fans can purchase discounted bleacher tickets for $8.00. Tickets are based on availability, with prices increasing to $9.00 on game day. To purchase tickets for the Winter Spectacular, 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/WinterSpectacular.

GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday, Jan. 5, 2024.
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Toledo, Ohio.
Arena: Savage Arena (7,014).
Television: CBS Sports Network. Chick Hernandez will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Mike 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.
 
POST TOUCHES
•  Junior Ra'Heim Moss has scored in double digits in 12 of 13 games this season after scoring in double digits on 13 occasions last year.  He has now scored in double digits 39 times in his Rocket career and leads UT with 58 FTs made and 76 FTs attempted.
•  Junior Dante Maddox Jr. ranks second in team scoring with a career-high 15.2 ppg. He also is tied for fourth in the MAC with 1.5 spg and his NINE three-point field-goal attempts vs. Marshall were a career high.
•  Junior Tyler Cochran leads the MAC and ranks 24th nationally with a team-high 2.5 spg. He also leads the team with 6.2 rpg. In his last six games, Cochran is averaging 17.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg and 2.8 spg and is shooting 44.4% (4-of-9) from three-point range.
•  Cochran has SEVEN career double-doubles following his 19-point, 12-rebound outing vs. Northern Iowa. He registered four double-doubles at NIU and two at Ball State.
•  Redshirt freshman Javan Simmons is fourth on the team with 11.9 ppg and tied his season high with 15 points vs. Marshall (Dec. 13). He has scored in double digits in 10 contests and has a team-best 58.6 FG% that ranks sixth in the MAC.
•  Simmons has shot 50 percent or better from the field in 12 of 13 games.
•  Junior Andre Lorentsson is tied for fourth in the MAC with a 48.5 3PTFG% (16-of-33). Lorentsson scored a career-high 17 points (6-8 FG, 4-5 3FG) vs. New Mexico (Nov. 21).
•  Freshman Sonny Wilson registered his fourth double-digit outing of the season with 13 points at Ohio (Jan. 2). He also dished out three assists with zero turnovers against the Bobcats and leads the Rockets with a 1.9 assist/turnover ratio.
•  Freshman Sam Lewis tied his season high with 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting at Ohio (Jan. 2). He hit a pair of big three-pointers in the second half to help the Rockets hold off the Bobcats' comeback bid.
 
TEAM TIDBITS
•  Toledo leads the MAC with a 47.3 FG% and ranks second with 79.5 ppg, a 76.3 FT%, a plus-2.38 turnover margin and 7.8 spg.
•  Toledo is 3-0 in one-point games with road wins over Wright State and Oakland and a home victory over Marshall.
•  UT has posted one-point wins in two of its four road games - 78-77 at Wright State and 69-68 at Oakland.
•  Since the start of the 2020-21 season, Toledo is 49-9 (.845) in league play. The Rockets are 26-3 (.897) in MAC home games and 23-6 (.793) in MAC road games.
•  Toledo is the only MAC school to win 13 or more league games five of last six years.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
     Toledo is 42-6 (.875) over the last three-plus seasons in Savage Arena. UT had a 10-game home winning streak dating back to last year snapped with an 86-77 loss to George Mason on Dec. 2. In addition to their losses to GMU and Vermont this season, the Rockets' defeats have come at the hands of Ball State last year, Dayton and Kent State in the 2021-22 season and Bowling Green in the 2020-21 campaign.
     The Rockets' home records over the three years prior to this season are 13-1 (2022-23), 13-2 (2021-22) and 12-1 (2020-21).
     The Rockets' unbeaten home mark (15-0) under Coach Kowalczyk in 2013-14 was their first since 1966-67 and just the fourth time in school history UT accomplished the feat.
 
ON THE HORIZON
     Toledo will play its third straight game on national television when it visits Kent State on Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 7:00 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network. The Rockets will then return home for its next two contests vs. Ball State on Saturday, Jan. 13 and Buffalo on Tuesday, Jan. 16.