Thursday, March 12
Cleveland, Ohio
Approx. 1:40 p.m.
University of Toledo
18-14,11-7MAC
77
vs
76
#5 Bowling Green
18-14,9-9MAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green | 38 | 38 | 76 |
| Toledo | 37 | 40 | 77 |
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballTeam Stats
BGSU
UT
FG%
.526
.508
3FG%
.294
.500
FT%
.579
.538
RB
31
34
TO
11
11
STL
8
7
Game Leaders
Pts
23
FGM
8
3FGM
4
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Freshman Leroy Blyden Jr. scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half in Toledo's 77-76 win over Bowling Green.
Photo by: Ellen Holton
Blyden’s Blitz Leads Rockets Past Bowling Green, 77-76, in MAC Tournament Quarterfinals
3/12/2026 4:23:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MAC Freshman of the Year scores 17 of game-high 23 points in second half as Toledo moves into semifinal matchup with UMass
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Freshman Leroy Blyden Jr. scored 17 of his game-high 23 points in the second half to lead the Toledo men's basketball team to a 77-76 victory over Bowling Green in MAC Tournament quarterfinal action at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Thursday.
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No. 4 seed Toledo (18-14) survived a scare when No. 5 seed Bowling Green (18-14) missed a driving layup at the buzzer.
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With the victory, the Rockets now advance to a semifinal matchup on Friday with No. 8 seed UMass (17-15), which defeated No. 1 seed Miami, 87-83.
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Blyden, the MAC Freshman of the Year, made 8-of-10 shots from the field, 4-of-4 from three-point range and added six rebounds. Junior Sonny Wilson added 12 points, and senior Sean Craig, junior Austin Parks and sophomore Mynor Strong put up 10 points apiece. As a team, Toledo shot 31-of-61 (50.8%), including 8-of-16 from three-point range.
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Toledo built a 12-point lead in the first half before BGSU rallied to take a 38-37 halftime margin. Toledo responded to take a 71-60 lead before the Falcons rallied to go ahead, 74-73, with 44 seconds left. Blyden and Wilson answered with a pair of free throws each in the waning seconds that stood up as the winning points.
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Quoting Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk
"Overall, just proud of our effort. I thought we had a great start though we gave up the 12-point lead in the first half. I can't say enough about these two guards (Blyden and Wilson). They are special. We didn't play great but we found a way to win. That's been a motto for us. Those special situations at the end were on point."
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Rocket Leaders
The Rockets will play in the semifinals against No. 8 seed UMass on Friday, March 13 at 5:00 p.m. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network and will also be carried on the Rocket Radio Network.
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No. 4 seed Toledo (18-14) survived a scare when No. 5 seed Bowling Green (18-14) missed a driving layup at the buzzer.
Â
With the victory, the Rockets now advance to a semifinal matchup on Friday with No. 8 seed UMass (17-15), which defeated No. 1 seed Miami, 87-83.
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Blyden, the MAC Freshman of the Year, made 8-of-10 shots from the field, 4-of-4 from three-point range and added six rebounds. Junior Sonny Wilson added 12 points, and senior Sean Craig, junior Austin Parks and sophomore Mynor Strong put up 10 points apiece. As a team, Toledo shot 31-of-61 (50.8%), including 8-of-16 from three-point range.
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Toledo built a 12-point lead in the first half before BGSU rallied to take a 38-37 halftime margin. Toledo responded to take a 71-60 lead before the Falcons rallied to go ahead, 74-73, with 44 seconds left. Blyden and Wilson answered with a pair of free throws each in the waning seconds that stood up as the winning points.
Â
Quoting Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk
"Overall, just proud of our effort. I thought we had a great start though we gave up the 12-point lead in the first half. I can't say enough about these two guards (Blyden and Wilson). They are special. We didn't play great but we found a way to win. That's been a motto for us. Those special situations at the end were on point."
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Rocket Leaders
- Leroy Blyden Jr. – 23 points, 8-of-10 FG, 4-for-4 3FG, 6 rebounds
- Sonny Wilson – 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
- Sean Craig – 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
- Austin Parks – 10 points, 5-of-6 FG, 6 rebounds
- Mynor Strong – 10 points
- Toledo made its first five shots from the field on its way an early 17-8 lead and led by as many as 12 points in the first half.
- Bowling Green finished the half on a 23-7 run to take a 38-37 lead into halftime.
- Austin Parks' bucket capped a rally that gave Toledo a 61-56 lead with 8:14 left.
- Toledo extended the lead to 71-60 on a triple by Blyden before BG rallied to take a 74-73 lead with 44 seconds remaining.
- Blyden and Wilson each made a pair of free throws to give the Rockets a 77-74 lead with 10 seconds left.
- BG made a pair of free throws and then fouled Blyden with five seconds left.
- Blyden missed the front end of the one-and-one to set up BG's frantic final driving shot that hit the front rim.
- Toledo is in the MAC Tournament semifinals for the fifth time in the last six years.
- Toledo is now 5-1 all-time vs. BGSU in MAC Tournament play.
- Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk is now 18-9 in his career vs. the Falcons.
- Leroy Blyden Jr. has now scored 20 or points in four straight games and has a team-high 12 20-point outings this season.
The Rockets will play in the semifinals against No. 8 seed UMass on Friday, March 13 at 5:00 p.m. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network and will also be carried on the Rocket Radio Network.
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