Tuesday, February 24
Toledo, Ohio
7:00 p.m.
University of Toledo
vs
Northern Illinois
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
Junior Sonny Wilson has scored in double digits in 44 of his last 45 games.
Photo by: Ellen Holton
Toledo to Host Northern Illinois on Tuesday Night
2/23/2026 2:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Rockets can secure MAC Tournament berth with win over Huskies
TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo men's basketball team (14-13, 8-6 MAC) will look to continue building momentum for next month's Mid-American Conference tournament when it hosts Northern Illinois (9-17, 4-10 MAC) on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Tip-off time for the Rockets' second matchup vs. the Huskies this season is set for 7:00 p.m. in Savage Arena with streaming on ESPN+.
Toledo is currently in fifth place and a half-game behind Ohio (15-13, 9-6 MAC) in the MAC standings following Saturday's 94-75 home victory over Eastern Michigan.
Six Rockets scored in double figures and Toledo's win over the Eagles. Leroy Blyden Jr. and Sonny Wilson each scored 15 points to pace the Rockets. Will James Jr. provided a major spark off the bench with a season-high 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, with Sean Craig also tallying 13 points and five boards. Austin Parks and Kyler Vanderjagt each added 10 points, with Parks also contributing six rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
The Rockets controlled the contest from the opening tip, scoring the first six points of the game and never looking back. UT led by as many as 25 points in the first half and carried a commanding 51–29 lead into the locker room after shooting 68.8%.
Toledo is led by the backcourt duo of Wilson (17.2 ppg) and Blyden (15.8 ppg) along with the frontcourt tandem of Craig (12.0 ppg) and Parks (11.1 ppg). Blyden leads all MAC freshmen with 15.8 ppg, while Wilson is dishing out a team-high 4.7 apg. Parks ranks fourth in the MAC with a team-high 62.4 FG%, while Craig ranks fourth with a team-best 7.4 rpg.
Kyler Vanderjagt's 18 points led Toledo in its 75-61 win at NIU on Jan. 6. The Rockets shot 50% from the field vs. the Huskies and led by double digits the entire second half.
NIU dropped a 74-66 decision to Ohio at home on Saturday after registering a 72-70Â victory at Buffalo last Tuesday. Sophomore Makhai Valentine is leading the Huskies with 13.9 ppg, while freshman Gustav Winther tops the MAC with a 64.8 FG%.
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Toledo, Ohio.
Arena: Savage Arena (7,014).
Streaming: ESPN+. Mason Lowry will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Rhett Boyd 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 ranks SECOND in the MAC in league play with a 48.7 FG% and THIRD with 80.7 ppg, 1.42 assist/turnover ratio, and plus-1.71 turnover margin.
• The Rockets' 67.3 FG% vs. Eastern Michigan was their best since shooting 67.2% vs. Bowling Green in 2018.
• Sonny Wilson has scored in 44 of his last 45 games after his treak of scoring in double figures ended at 36 straight contests vs. Bowling Green on Jan. 24. He has responded by averaging 18.6 ppg and 4.7 apg and scoring in double digits in each of the last eight contests.
• Wilson and Leroy Blyden Jr. are leading the Rockets offensively in conference play and are seventh and eighth in the MAC with 17.0 ppg and 16.6 ppg, respectively.
• Sean Craig ranks second in the MAC with 2.8 offensive rpg. He is also tied for fourth in the MAC with a team-high six double-doubles and tallied 16 points and 13 rebounds vs. Miami followed by 15 points and 10 boards vs. Ohio.
• Austin Parks has blocked a career-high five shots vs. Bowling Green (Jan. 24) and Ball State (Jan. 31) in addition to scoring a MAC-season high 17 points vs. Kent State (Feb. 3) and at Western Michigan (Feb. 11).
• Jaylan Ouwinga scored a MAC career-high 13 points at Akron (Jan. 27) and is averaging 8.6 ppg with a 64.3 FG% (27-of-42) in his last six contests.
• Mynor Strong has started the last six games, his first starting nods since UT's first two games of the season. He is averaging 7.2 ppg with a 37.5 3FG% (6-of-16) since re-joining the starting lineup.
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DETAILING TONIGHT'S MATCHUP
• Toledo leads its all-time series vs. Northern Illinois by a 55-32 margin and has won seven of its last eight matchups vs. the Huskies
• Toledo posted an 89-85 home win over NIU last year. The Rockets never trailed in the contest and led by as many as 19 points in the first half.
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ROCKETS IN THE NCAA & MAC RANKINGS (thru games played Feb. 22)
• Toledo ranks second in the MAC with its 76.4 FT%. The Rockets are also 25th nationally with a MAC-low 15.1 personal fouls per game and 35th with their 48.3 FG%.
• UT is third in the MAC with a 1.50 A/TO ratio and a 48.3 FG%.
• Freshman Leroy Blyden Jr. is third in the MAC with an 84.9 FT%, tied for third with 1.7 spg, eighth with a 41.1 three-point FG%, eighth with 4.2 apg, and 10th with 15.8 ppg.
• Junior Austin Parks ranks fourth with 62.4 FG% and tied for fifth with 1.4 bpg.
• Senior Sean Craig ranks second in the MAC with 2.8 offensive rpg and fourth with 7.4 rpg.
• Junior Sonny Wilson ranks seventh in the MAC with 17.2 ppg and 4.5 apg.
ON THE HORIZON
Toledo will travel to Athens, Ohio to face Ohio (15-13, 9-6 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 4:00 p.m. and Oxford, Ohio to meet No. 22 Miami (27-0, 14-0 MAC) on Tuesday, March 3 at 7:00 p.m. The Rockets will close out their regular season vs. Buffalo (16-11, 6-8 MAC) on Friday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m.
Toledo is currently in fifth place and a half-game behind Ohio (15-13, 9-6 MAC) in the MAC standings following Saturday's 94-75 home victory over Eastern Michigan.
Six Rockets scored in double figures and Toledo's win over the Eagles. Leroy Blyden Jr. and Sonny Wilson each scored 15 points to pace the Rockets. Will James Jr. provided a major spark off the bench with a season-high 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, with Sean Craig also tallying 13 points and five boards. Austin Parks and Kyler Vanderjagt each added 10 points, with Parks also contributing six rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
The Rockets controlled the contest from the opening tip, scoring the first six points of the game and never looking back. UT led by as many as 25 points in the first half and carried a commanding 51–29 lead into the locker room after shooting 68.8%.
Toledo is led by the backcourt duo of Wilson (17.2 ppg) and Blyden (15.8 ppg) along with the frontcourt tandem of Craig (12.0 ppg) and Parks (11.1 ppg). Blyden leads all MAC freshmen with 15.8 ppg, while Wilson is dishing out a team-high 4.7 apg. Parks ranks fourth in the MAC with a team-high 62.4 FG%, while Craig ranks fourth with a team-best 7.4 rpg.
Kyler Vanderjagt's 18 points led Toledo in its 75-61 win at NIU on Jan. 6. The Rockets shot 50% from the field vs. the Huskies and led by double digits the entire second half.
NIU dropped a 74-66 decision to Ohio at home on Saturday after registering a 72-70Â victory at Buffalo last Tuesday. Sophomore Makhai Valentine is leading the Huskies with 13.9 ppg, while freshman Gustav Winther tops the MAC with a 64.8 FG%.
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Toledo, Ohio.
Arena: Savage Arena (7,014).
Streaming: ESPN+. Mason Lowry will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Rhett Boyd 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 ranks SECOND in the MAC in league play with a 48.7 FG% and THIRD with 80.7 ppg, 1.42 assist/turnover ratio, and plus-1.71 turnover margin.
• The Rockets' 67.3 FG% vs. Eastern Michigan was their best since shooting 67.2% vs. Bowling Green in 2018.
• Sonny Wilson has scored in 44 of his last 45 games after his treak of scoring in double figures ended at 36 straight contests vs. Bowling Green on Jan. 24. He has responded by averaging 18.6 ppg and 4.7 apg and scoring in double digits in each of the last eight contests.
• Wilson and Leroy Blyden Jr. are leading the Rockets offensively in conference play and are seventh and eighth in the MAC with 17.0 ppg and 16.6 ppg, respectively.
• Sean Craig ranks second in the MAC with 2.8 offensive rpg. He is also tied for fourth in the MAC with a team-high six double-doubles and tallied 16 points and 13 rebounds vs. Miami followed by 15 points and 10 boards vs. Ohio.
• Austin Parks has blocked a career-high five shots vs. Bowling Green (Jan. 24) and Ball State (Jan. 31) in addition to scoring a MAC-season high 17 points vs. Kent State (Feb. 3) and at Western Michigan (Feb. 11).
• Jaylan Ouwinga scored a MAC career-high 13 points at Akron (Jan. 27) and is averaging 8.6 ppg with a 64.3 FG% (27-of-42) in his last six contests.
• Mynor Strong has started the last six games, his first starting nods since UT's first two games of the season. He is averaging 7.2 ppg with a 37.5 3FG% (6-of-16) since re-joining the starting lineup.
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DETAILING TONIGHT'S MATCHUP
• Toledo leads its all-time series vs. Northern Illinois by a 55-32 margin and has won seven of its last eight matchups vs. the Huskies
• Toledo posted an 89-85 home win over NIU last year. The Rockets never trailed in the contest and led by as many as 19 points in the first half.
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ROCKETS IN THE NCAA & MAC RANKINGS (thru games played Feb. 22)
• Toledo ranks second in the MAC with its 76.4 FT%. The Rockets are also 25th nationally with a MAC-low 15.1 personal fouls per game and 35th with their 48.3 FG%.
• UT is third in the MAC with a 1.50 A/TO ratio and a 48.3 FG%.
• Freshman Leroy Blyden Jr. is third in the MAC with an 84.9 FT%, tied for third with 1.7 spg, eighth with a 41.1 three-point FG%, eighth with 4.2 apg, and 10th with 15.8 ppg.
• Junior Austin Parks ranks fourth with 62.4 FG% and tied for fifth with 1.4 bpg.
• Senior Sean Craig ranks second in the MAC with 2.8 offensive rpg and fourth with 7.4 rpg.
• Junior Sonny Wilson ranks seventh in the MAC with 17.2 ppg and 4.5 apg.
ON THE HORIZON
Toledo will travel to Athens, Ohio to face Ohio (15-13, 9-6 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 4:00 p.m. and Oxford, Ohio to meet No. 22 Miami (27-0, 14-0 MAC) on Tuesday, March 3 at 7:00 p.m. The Rockets will close out their regular season vs. Buffalo (16-11, 6-8 MAC) on Friday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m.
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