Toledo Remains Unbeaten in MAC with 89-75 Road Win Over Kent State

Tuesday, January 9

Kent, Ohio

7:00 p.m.

University of Toledo

9-6,3-0MAC

Kent State

8-7,1-2MAC

Toledo

Kent St.

Photo by: Bree Bee

Photo by: Bree Bee

Toledo Remains Unbeaten in MAC with 89-75 Road Win Over Kent State

1/9/2024 10:55:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Six Rockets score in double digits with Tyler Cochran scoring team-high 21 points

KENT, Ohio – Six Rockets scored in double figures to propel the Toledo men's basketball team to a convincing 89-75 triumph at Kent State (8-7, 1-2 MAC) on Tuesday night in the M.A.C. Center. The victory kept the Rockets (9-6, 3-0 MAC) in a three-way tie for first place in the Mid-American Conference with Akron and Western Michigan.

"We really played well after committing too many turnovers early in the game," said Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk after the Rockets won their 18^th straight conference game dating back to last season. "It was a great team effort tonight, and that's what you need to win on the road."

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

Jalen Sullinger topped Kent State with 21 points.

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.

Cochran and Maddox each grabbed a team-high six boards to help Toledo to a 30-23 advantage in the rebounding department. The plus-seven rebounding margin was the Rockets' largest this season.

The Rockets took control midway through the first half with a 13-0 run that led to a 43-29 halftime cushion. UT's lead didn't fall below 10 points in the final 20 minutes.

Toledo returns home this weekend to host Ball State (8-7, 0-3 MAC) on Saturday, Jan. 13. The contest will tip off at 7:00 p.m. with streaming on ESPN+.

BY THE NUMBERS

Toledo has a three-game winning streak for the third time this season.
The Rockets are 4-1 on the road this season.
Dante Maddox Jr. has scored in double figures in a career-high nine straight games.
Andre Lorentsson has made a three-point field goal in a career-high seven straight games.

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST HALF

Kent State took advantage of five Rocket turnovers in the first six minutes to build a 9-4 lead.
Toledo took its first lead, 16-13, at the 9:48 mark with a 6-0 spurt capped off by a Ra'Heim Moss layup.
The Rockets then took control with a 13-0 burst highlighted by Dante Maddox Jr.'s four-point play that provided UT a 29-18 cushion four minutes later.
Toledo's lead didn't dip below 10 points in the final four minutes of the half and Sonny Wilson's jumper gave the Rockets a 43-29 halftime lead.
Tyler Cochran scored a team-high 11 points in the first half with Javan Simmons contributing 10 points.
Toledo shot 57.1% and limited KSU to a 40.0 shooting mark.

SECOND HALF

The Rockets didn't let up and opened the half with baskets from Cochran and Wilson leading to a KSU timeout with UT holding a 47-29 lead.
Toledo took its biggest lead of the night, 63-40, thanks to a 12-0 burst capped off by another Maddox triple with 12 minutes left.
Jalen Sullinger's back-to-back treys cut Toledo's lead to 73-63 with 5:43 remaining.
The Rockets didn't let KSU get any closer though on its way to a double-digit road victory.