Tuesday, January 27
Akron, Ohio
7:00 p.m.
University of Toledo
at
Akron
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
Junior Austin Parks blocked a career-high five shots vs. Bowling Green and has scored in double digits in a career-high seven straight games.
Photo by: Daniel Miller/University of Toledo
Toledo to Visit Second-Place Akron on Tuesday Night
1/26/2026 3:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Rockets looking to build momentum following Saturday's comeback win over Bowling Green
TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo men's basketball team (11-9, 5-3 MAC) looks to build off Saturday's thrilling 73-72 victory over arch-rival Bowling Green when it visits Akron (16-4, 7-1 MAC) on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. in Rhodes Arena with streaming on ESPN+. The Rockets are alone in fourth place in the Mid-American Conference standings, trailing Miami (20-0, 8-0) and Kent State (15-5, 6-2) in addition to the Zips.
Leroy Blyden Jr. hit a game-winning three-pointer with 7.7 seconds left to give the Rockets the one-point win over the Falcons. Blyden's triple capped off a furious rally from a 71-64 deficit with 4:36 remaining. Kyler Vanderjagt hit a three with 3:26 left to cut BG's lead to four, and Sean Craig then buried another three-pointer at the 1:27 mark to set the stage for Blyden's heroics.
Blyden topped Toledo offensively with 19 points in addition to adding five assists and four rebounds. Junior Austin Parks contributed 14 points, six boards, and was a perfect 6-for-6 at the free-throw line. Craig scored 13 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, while Vanderjagt tallied 10 points and a team-high three steals.
The contest featured 10 ties and 13 lead changes, with Toledo holding a slim 39-38 halftime lead. UT extended that margin to six points with 11:17 to play before the Falcons rallied down the stretch.
The Rockets are led by the backcourt trio of Sonny Wilson (16.9 ppg), Blyden (16.1 ppg), and Vanderjagt (11.2 ppg) along with the frontcourt tandem of Craig (12.8 ppg) and Parks (11.4 ppg). Blyden leads all MAC freshmen with 16.1 ppg.
Akron has won each of its MAC contests by 10 or more points except for a 76-73 loss at Miami on Jan. 3. The Zips rank fourth nationally with 92.7 ppg and 20.1 apg. Tavari Johnson is tied for first in the MAC in scoring with 20.3 ppg and third with 5.5 apg. Amani Lyles is averaging 15.4 ppg and ranks fourth with 7.7 rpg.
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Akron, Ohio.
Arena: Rhodes Arena (5,500).
Streaming: ESPN+. Michael Reghi will provide play-by-play with Jeff Phelps 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
• Toledo is tied for third in the MAC with 11.6 offensive rebounds per game in league play, including a season-high 21 vs. Western Michigan. Sean Craig leads the MAC overall with 3.4 offensive rpg and 3.6 offensive rpg in MAC games only.
• Craig has tied season highs in each of his last two games with a trio of three-point FGs. He is shooting 54.5% (6-of-11) behind the arc in his last two contests.
• Sonny Wilson's streak of scoring in double figures ended at 36 straight games on Saturday vs. Bowling Green.
• Leroy Blyden Jr. and Wilson are leading the Rockets offensively in conference play and are sixth and tied for 12th in the MAC with 19.0 ppg and 16.3 ppg, respectively.
• Blyden is averaging 21.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg with a 58.0 FG% (29-of-50) and a 50.0 3PTFG% (12-of-24) in his last four contests.
• Austin Parks has scored in double digits in a career-high seven straight games with 13.6 ppg & 59.6 FG% (31-of-52) during this stretch.
• Parks scored 14 points and blocked a career-high five shots in Saturday's win over BGSU.
• Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk's 17-8 record vs. BG as the Rockets' head coach is the best winning percentage (.680) vs. the Falcons by any head coach in program history. Bob Nichols posted a 29-14 (.674) mark in his career.
DETAILING TUESDAY'S MATCHUP
• Toledo leads its all-time series vs. Akron by a 43-32 margin and is 5-4 in its last nine games (dating back to the 2013-14 season) in Rhodes Arena.
• The Rockets are 28-19 vs. the Zips since Akron joined the MAC in 1992.
ROCKETS IN THE NCAA & MAC RANKINGS (thru games played Jan. 25)
• Toledo ranks first in the MAC and 15th in the nation with its 78.0 FT%. The Rockets are also 23rd nationally with a MAC-low 15.1 personal fouls per game.
• Toledo is third in the MAC with a 1.48 assist/turnover ratio and tied for third with 10.8 turnovers/game.
• Senior Sean Craig ranks first in the MAC with 3.3 offensive rpg and third with 7.9 rpg.
• Junior Sonny Wilson ranks eighth with 16.9 ppg and seventh with 4.6 apg.
• Freshman Leroy Blyden Jr. is fifth in the MAC with 1.7 spg, 10th with 4.2 apg, and 10th with 16.1 ppg.
• Junior Austin Parks is eighth with a 59.4 FG% and is tied for fifth with 1.2 bpg.
ON THE HORIZON
Toledo will return home to host Ball State (7-13, 3-5 MAC) in the ninth-annual 'Rockets for Life' game on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 12:00 p.m. The Rockets will then host third-place Kent State (15-5, 6-2 MAC) on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 7:00 p.m.
Leroy Blyden Jr. hit a game-winning three-pointer with 7.7 seconds left to give the Rockets the one-point win over the Falcons. Blyden's triple capped off a furious rally from a 71-64 deficit with 4:36 remaining. Kyler Vanderjagt hit a three with 3:26 left to cut BG's lead to four, and Sean Craig then buried another three-pointer at the 1:27 mark to set the stage for Blyden's heroics.
Blyden topped Toledo offensively with 19 points in addition to adding five assists and four rebounds. Junior Austin Parks contributed 14 points, six boards, and was a perfect 6-for-6 at the free-throw line. Craig scored 13 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, while Vanderjagt tallied 10 points and a team-high three steals.
The contest featured 10 ties and 13 lead changes, with Toledo holding a slim 39-38 halftime lead. UT extended that margin to six points with 11:17 to play before the Falcons rallied down the stretch.
The Rockets are led by the backcourt trio of Sonny Wilson (16.9 ppg), Blyden (16.1 ppg), and Vanderjagt (11.2 ppg) along with the frontcourt tandem of Craig (12.8 ppg) and Parks (11.4 ppg). Blyden leads all MAC freshmen with 16.1 ppg.
Akron has won each of its MAC contests by 10 or more points except for a 76-73 loss at Miami on Jan. 3. The Zips rank fourth nationally with 92.7 ppg and 20.1 apg. Tavari Johnson is tied for first in the MAC in scoring with 20.3 ppg and third with 5.5 apg. Amani Lyles is averaging 15.4 ppg and ranks fourth with 7.7 rpg.
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Akron, Ohio.
Arena: Rhodes Arena (5,500).
Streaming: ESPN+. Michael Reghi will provide play-by-play with Jeff Phelps 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
• Toledo is tied for third in the MAC with 11.6 offensive rebounds per game in league play, including a season-high 21 vs. Western Michigan. Sean Craig leads the MAC overall with 3.4 offensive rpg and 3.6 offensive rpg in MAC games only.
• Craig has tied season highs in each of his last two games with a trio of three-point FGs. He is shooting 54.5% (6-of-11) behind the arc in his last two contests.
• Sonny Wilson's streak of scoring in double figures ended at 36 straight games on Saturday vs. Bowling Green.
• Leroy Blyden Jr. and Wilson are leading the Rockets offensively in conference play and are sixth and tied for 12th in the MAC with 19.0 ppg and 16.3 ppg, respectively.
• Blyden is averaging 21.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg with a 58.0 FG% (29-of-50) and a 50.0 3PTFG% (12-of-24) in his last four contests.
• Austin Parks has scored in double digits in a career-high seven straight games with 13.6 ppg & 59.6 FG% (31-of-52) during this stretch.
• Parks scored 14 points and blocked a career-high five shots in Saturday's win over BGSU.
• Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk's 17-8 record vs. BG as the Rockets' head coach is the best winning percentage (.680) vs. the Falcons by any head coach in program history. Bob Nichols posted a 29-14 (.674) mark in his career.
DETAILING TUESDAY'S MATCHUP
• Toledo leads its all-time series vs. Akron by a 43-32 margin and is 5-4 in its last nine games (dating back to the 2013-14 season) in Rhodes Arena.
• The Rockets are 28-19 vs. the Zips since Akron joined the MAC in 1992.
ROCKETS IN THE NCAA & MAC RANKINGS (thru games played Jan. 25)
• Toledo ranks first in the MAC and 15th in the nation with its 78.0 FT%. The Rockets are also 23rd nationally with a MAC-low 15.1 personal fouls per game.
• Toledo is third in the MAC with a 1.48 assist/turnover ratio and tied for third with 10.8 turnovers/game.
• Senior Sean Craig ranks first in the MAC with 3.3 offensive rpg and third with 7.9 rpg.
• Junior Sonny Wilson ranks eighth with 16.9 ppg and seventh with 4.6 apg.
• Freshman Leroy Blyden Jr. is fifth in the MAC with 1.7 spg, 10th with 4.2 apg, and 10th with 16.1 ppg.
• Junior Austin Parks is eighth with a 59.4 FG% and is tied for fifth with 1.2 bpg.
ON THE HORIZON
Toledo will return home to host Ball State (7-13, 3-5 MAC) in the ninth-annual 'Rockets for Life' game on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 12:00 p.m. The Rockets will then host third-place Kent State (15-5, 6-2 MAC) on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 7:00 p.m.
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