TOLEDO, Ohio –The Toledo men's basketball team (10-8, 4-2 MAC) will play the first of two Battle of I-75 matchups against arch-rival Bowling Green (7-11, 2-4 MAC) this season when it visits the Stroh Center on Friday, Jan. 24. The contest will tip off at 6:00 p.m. and be nationally televised on the CBS Sports Network.
 
Toledo is currently tied for third place in the Mid-American Conference standings with Ohio (10-8, 4-2 MAC), two games behind league leaders Akron (13-5, 6-0) and Miami (14-4, 6-0).
 
The four-time defending MAC champion Rockets will be looking to rebound from Tuesday's 83-64 setback to Kent State. The Golden Flashes shot 56.6% from the field, including a season-best 63.2% (12-of-19) from behind the three-point arc. Toledo posted a respectable 46.9 shooting mark but was just 2-of-10 from three-point range.
 
Javan Simmons and Sonny Wilson each scored 19 points to pace Toledo offensively. Simmons also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds for the Rockets, while Isaiah Adams dished out a team-high five assists.
 
Wilson and Sam Lewis are leading Toledo with 15.2 and 14.3 ppg, respectively. Simmons is averaging 12.6 and a team-high 5.8 rpg, while Adams is scoring 10.4 ppg. In addition, Bryce Ford is econd in the MAC with a 45.0 3PTFG%.
 
Bowling Green holds a 5-4 win-loss mark on its home floor and has lost its last two games vs. Eastern Michigan (68-62) and at Miami (84-76). Marcus Johnson leads the Falcons with a MAC-high 16.4 ppg, while Javontae Campbell is averaging 13.9 ppg and a league-best 3.2 spg. Derrick Butler (14.3 ppg) and Trey Thomas (11.2 ppg) are also in double digits.
 
Toledo has won five of its last six meetings vs. the Falcons but dropped a 76-68 decision at the Stroh Center in the last matchup between the two programs last February. 
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
Tip-Off: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Bowling Green, Ohio
Arena: Stroh Center (5,000).
Streaming: CBS Sports Network. Alex Del Barrio will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Tre Demps 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 98-84. Toledo has won 15 of its last 20 games vs. BGSU, including four of the last six by double digits. UT has won six of its last nine games in the Stroh Center.

POST TOUCHES
•  The Rockets are the only team in the MAC with three players averaging 15.0 ppg or more in league play. Sonny Wilson leads the way at 15.5 ppg and is followed by Sam Lewis (15.3) and Javan Simmons (15.0).
•  Toledo's six home games are the fewest in the MAC.
•  Sophomore Sonny Wilson earned a spot on the MAC All-Freshman Team last year and leads UT with 15.2 ppg and 3.3 apg. He ranks 10th in the MAC with 15.2 ppg and ranks first among guards in the MAC with a 51.7 FG%.
•  Sophomore Javan Simmons was a unanimous selection for 2023-24 MAC Freshman of the Year and is a member of the 2024-25 Preseason All-MAC First Team. In MAC play, he leads the conference with 4.2 offensive rpg and is second with 8.7 rpg.
•  Sophomore Sam Lewis has three 20-point outings this season, including tying his career high with 21 points at Ball State (Jan. 18). He also registered back-to-back double-doubles with 13 points and a career-best 11 boards at Purdue (Dec. 29) and 14 points and 10 rebounds at WMU (Jan. 4).
•  Sophomore Bryce Ford ranks second in the MAC with a 45.0 3PTFG% and has emerged as another perimeter scoring threat after joining the Rockets' starting lineup at the start of conference play. Ford has tallied a career-high 18 points vs. EMU, 12 at Ball State, 10 vs. CMU and nine at WMU. In MAC play, he is averaging 9.2 ppg with a 55.6 FG% (20-of-36) and a 53.3 3PTFG% (8-of-15).
•  Senior transfer Isaiah Adams scored a season-high 20 points at Ball State (Jan. 18) after tallying 17 points at Akron (Jan.14). He leads UT with 1.2 spg and is averaging 10.4 ppg and 3.2 apg. Adams started 25 of 26 games last year for Buffalo and was the Bulls' second-leading scorer with 12.8 ppg.
•  Adams and junior Seth Hubbard are the MAC's top free-throw shooters in league play. Adams has made all 12 of his free throws, and Hubbard is perfect in 14 attempts.
 
NOTES FROM THE ROCKETS' 83-64 LOSS TO KENT STATE
• Javan Simmons tied his season high with 19 points, one shy of his career high set last year vs. Buffalo. He has scored in double digits in a season-best five straight games.
• Sonny Wilson's 19-point outing tied him for the team lead with 16 double-digit outings. He also has a team-high four 20-point outings.
• Toledo posted a season-best 88.9 FT% (16-of-18) and now ranks second in the MAC with a 79.7 FT% in league play.
• Toledo's loss to Kent State was just its fifth MAC defeat at home since the start of the 2020-21 season.
 
PROTECTING THE BASKETBALL
•   Toledo ranks among the national leaders in fewest turnovers per game, averaging a MAC-best 9.6 miscues per game.
•   The Rockets are tied for 13th nationally, with Houston ranking first at 8.9.
•   UT committed a season-low four miscues vs. Jacksonville St. and five in three other games.
 
ON THE HORIZON
     The Rockets will conclude a stretch of playing four out of five games on the road with a trip to Athens, Ohio to face Ohio (10-7, 4-1 MAC) on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Toledo will then return home to host Northern Illinois (4-13, 0-5 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 1.