TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo men's basketball team (17-9, 11-2 MAC) looks to maintain its grasp on the top spot in the Mid-American Conference when it makes a short trip down I-75 to face arch-rival Bowling Green (16-10, 7-6 MAC) on Friday, Feb. 23. The contest in the Stroh Center will be televised nationally on ESPNU and tip off at 7:00 p.m.

The three-time defending MAC champion Rockets defeated Akron, 72-64, on Tuesday night to move into a first-place tie with the Zips and keep its goal of a fourth-consecutive conference title within reach.

Sonny Wilson paced UT offensively against Akron with a season-high 18 points and was joined in double digits by Tyler Cochran (17 pts.) and Ra'Heim Moss (12 pts.). The Rockets limited the Zips to a 39.7 FG%, the lowest shooting mark by a Rocket opponent this season. Toledo now has won its last seven home games vs. Akron.

The Rockets pulled away in the second half in their first meeting this season with the Falcons, an 88-72 victory in Savage Arena in late January. Dante Maddox Jr. led the Rockets with a career-high 26 points, with Cochran (17 pts., 10 reb.) and Moss (14 pts., 10 asst.) each registering double-doubles.

Moss is leading the Rockets offensively with a career-high 16.3 ppg. He is followed by Maddox (15.6), Cochran (13.7) and Javan Simmons (12.8).

Bowling Green is 10-3 at home and enters Friday's contest on a three-game losing streak with each of the setbacks coming on the road. Junior Marcus Hill is the MAC's leading scorer in conference play with 22.9 ppg, while senior Rashaun Agee has a MAC-best 58.8 FG% and is second with 9.4 rpg.

Toledo has won 15 of its last 19 games vs. Bowling Green, including four of the last five meetings by double digits.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday, Feb. 23, 2024.
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Bowling Green, Ohio.
Arena: Stroh Center (5,000).
Streaming: ESPNU. Noah Reed will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Tim McCormick 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 98-83. Toledo has won 15 of its last 19 games vs. BGSU and has won four of the last five meetings by double digits. UT has won six of its last eight games in the Stroh Center.
 
POST TOUCHES
•  Junior Ra'Heim Moss has scored in double digits in 25 of 26 games this season after scoring in double digits on 13 occasions last year. He ranks seventh in the MAC with 16.3 ppg and has a 60.0 3PTFG% (6-of-10) in his last FOUR games.
•  Junior Dante Maddox Jr. ranks second in team scoring with a career-high 15.6 ppg. Maddox scored a career-high 26 pts. vs. BG (Jan. 27) and leads UT with TEN 20-point outings.
•  Junior Tyler Cochran leads the MAC with a team-high 2.0 spg. He also leads the team with 6.7 rpg and has scored in double digits in a season-high TEN straight games.
•  Redshirt freshman Javan Simmons registered season highs in assists (6) and steals (3) vs. Akron on Tuesday and is averaging 12.8 ppg this season with a team-best 57.5 FG% (3rd in MAC). He registered his first two double-doubles of the season at App State (Feb. 10) and vs. Ohio (Feb. 16) and is averaging 13.2 ppg and 10.5 rpg in his last four contests.
•  Freshman Sonny Wilson scored a season-high 18 points vs. Akron (Feb. 20) and is averaging 12.2 ppg with a 62.5 FG% (30-of-48) in his last SIX games.
 
TEAM TIDBITS
•  Toledo has an 11-2 record in MAC play for the second straight season. UT lost two of its first three MAC games last year before winning its final 15 league contests.
•  The Rockets are 26-2 in their last 28 MAC games with their only losses a three-point setback at Central Michigan (Jan. 19) and a seven-point defeat at Akron (Feb. 2).
•  UT is 59-11 (.843) in league play since the start of the 2020-21 season. The Rockets are 33-3 (.917) in MAC home games and 26-8 (.765) in MAC road games.
•  Toledo leads the MAC with 80.5 ppg, a 47.9 FG%, and 7.4 spg and is second with a 37.4 3PTFG% and +2.50 turnover margin.
•  In league play, the Rockets are first with 80.2 ppg, a 48.9 FG% and +2.8 turnover margin and second with a 74.6 FT%, 6.5 spg, and a +8.0 scoring margin.
•  Toledo ranks in the Top 40 nationally in 3PTFG% (24th/37.4) and FG% (47.9%/31st).
•  The Rockets are 8-3 in games decided by five points or less.
•  UT is the only MAC school to win 13 or more league games five of last six years. The Rockets are two wins away from doing it for a sixth time in seven seasons.
•  Toledo is 4-2 in MAC road games this year after finishing 8-1 in league road games last season. UT was 8-2 in MAC road games in 2021-22 after posting a 6-3 mark in MAC contests away from home in 2020-21.
•  Toledo has registered FIVE 20-win seasons in the last SIX years. In addition, the Rockets are one of 11 programs nationally to win 21 or more games each of the last THREE seasons. Other schools to do so are Baylor, Belmont, Drake, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Morehead State, UAB, UCLA, and USC.
 
A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO SHOT SELECTION FOR ROCKETS
Toledo is taking 17.0 three-point shots per game this season and is on pace to take its fewest three-point field goal attempt since attempting 16.2 three-point shots per game in the 2014-15 season.
The Rockets took 21.8 shots/game behind the arc last season and a school-record 27.8 three-point shots/game in the 2020-21 campaign.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
The Rockets are 6-4 in road games this season and have posted a 32-18 (.640) win-loss mark in road games since the start of the 2020-21 campaign. Toledo possesses a 56-38 (.596) win-loss mark on enemy courts since the start of the 2017-18 season.
 
ON THE HORIZON
Toledo will host Northern Illinois on Tuesday, Feb. 27 before hitting the road for games at Buffalo on Saturday, March 2 and Miami on Tuesday, March 5. The Rockets will conclude their regular season with a home game vs. Kent State on Friday, March 8. The contest will tip off at 8:00 p.m. and be televised nationally on the CBS Sports Network.