TROY, Ala. – Sophomores Javan Simmons and Sonny Wilson combined for 36 points, but it wasn't enough for the Toledo men's basketball team in its 84-74 defeat at Troy in the season opener for both squads in Trojan Arena. The matchup was the first of two contests for the Rockets in this season's MAC-Sun Belt Challenge.

Simmons topped the Rockets with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Wilson tallied 17 points and a team-high five assists with no turnovers.

Joining the duo in double digits were freshman Jaylan Ouwinga and sophomore Sam Lewis with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Ouwinga also came up with two steals and two blocked shots in 21 minutes.

"We had a bad stretch in the first half that cost us," Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk said. "Troy is a really good, veteran team that plays a physical style and is going to win a lot of games.

Toledo shot just 40.6% from the field, including a 34.3 mark in the opening 20 minutes that led to the Rockets trailing by a 43-29 margin at the half. The Trojans registered a 52.2 shooting clip and held a 42-35 advantage on the boards.

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST HALF

• Toledo rebounded from missing its first six shots of the game to take a 13-10 lead on Sonny Wilson's triple at the 12:41 mark.
• Back-to-back baskets from Sam Lewis gave the Rockets their largest of the half, 19-14, midway through the half.
• Troy took a 28-21 lead with a 11-0 spurt that Jaylan Ouwinga ended with a three-pointer 5:32 before intermission.
• That was as close as UT could come the remainder of the half as the Trojans took a 43-29 lead to the locker room

SECOND HALF

• Javan Simmons' seven-straight points early in the second half kept the Rockets within striking distance of the Trojans.
• Sonny Wilson's two free throws brought Toledo within 67-56 with 7:16 remaining.
• A three-point play from Jaylan Ouwinga cut the Trojans' advantage to 74-61 with just under five minutes left but the Rockets couldn't reduce their deficit to single digits.

UP NEXT
Toledo will travel to Huntington, W. Va. to face a second consecutive Sun Belt Conference foe when it battles Marshall on Saturday, Nov. 9. Tip-off time is 2:00 p.m. from the Cam Henderson Center.