Toledo (24-6, 16-3 MAC) will look to make history on national TV in its regular-season finale vs. arch-rival Bowling Green (13-17, 6-13 MAC) on Friday, March 4, in Savage Arena. Tip-off time on the CBS Sports Network is set for 6:30 p.m.
The Rockets have already won back-to-back Mid-American Conference men’s basketball titles for the first time since winning three consecutive (1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81) and are looking to capture two straight outright league crowns for the first time ever with a win over the Falcons. UToledo has already set a school record with 16 MAC victories and its 24 wins are tied for third-most in program annals, three behind the 2013-14 squad.
Sophomore Ryan Rollins tallied 16 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in Toledo’s 91-78 win over Bowling Green on Jan. 15.
Toledo secured a share of this year’s crown with Tuesday’s 92-76 victory at Buffalo. The Rockets are one game ahead of second-place Kent State (20-9, 15-4 MAC), who are hosting the Bulls on Friday evening.
Sophomore Ryan Rollins and junior Setric Millner Jr. each scored 20 points in the win at Buffalo. Rollins added eight rebounds and six assists to go along with his 20 points. Junior RayJ Dennis chipped in with 19 points, six rebounds and six assists, while junior JT Shumate pitched in with 14 points while battling foul trouble.
Rollins ranks third in the MAC with a team-high 19.2 ppg and leads the team with 6.2 rpg. Shumate is second with 15.5 ppg and grabbing 6.1 rpg. Millner Jr. (14.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg) and RayJ Dennis (12.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.1 apg) are also scoring in double digits.
Bowling Green snapped a six-game losing streak with Tuesday’s 80-77 win over Ohio. The Falcons need a victory to maintain their hopes of qualifying for the 2022 MAC Tournament. Senior Daeqwon Plowden leads BGSU with 15.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 1.2 and is the only Falcon scoring in double digits.
Toledo registered a convincing 91-78 road win over the Falcons on Jan. 15. Shumate erupted for a season-high 29 points and Rollins nearly registered a triple-double to lead the Rockets. Shumate hit 12-of-14 shots and was 4-of-4 from three-point range and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Rollins finished with 16 points, a career-best 10 assists and eight rebounds. Millner Jr. also put in a strong performance for the Rockets, tallying 20 points and five boards. Millner scored 15 of his points in final 20 minutes, including eight during a 12-3 spurt that gave Toledo a double-digit lead early in the second half.
