Ohio will fight to retain first place in the Mid-American Conference when it tips off against Toledo inside Savage Arena on Tuesday night.
The Bobcats are looking for revenge. When they hosted the Rockets earlier this season, they were knocked around on their own court and lost both a nine-game winning streak and their spot at the top of the conference standings.
But Ohio has slowly built its way back up. Five straight wins combined with Toledo's loss to Ball State on Friday have put Ohio back in first place. Now, it needs to prove it belongs there.
It won't be easy, though. The Rockets are undefeated inside Savage Arena this season, and they boast one of the most versatile offenses in the conference. The Bobcats haven't defeated them during the regular season in six years.
Here's another look at the Rockets:
Game information
Opponent: Toledo
Venue: Savage Arena
Time: 7 p.m.
Watch: ESPN3
Listen: Ohio IMG Sports Network
Live stats: Live stats are provided here.
Meet the opponent
Probable starters
00 Ra’Heim Moss
05 Ryan Rollins
10 RayJ Dennis
04 Setric Millner Jr.
32 J.T. Shumate
Individual statistical leaders
Points: Rollins (20 points per game)
Rebounds: Shumate (6.2 rebounds per game)
Assists: Dennis (3.7 assists per game)
Field goal percentage: Shumate (56.2%)
3-point percentage: Shumate (48.9%)
Free throw percentage: Shumate (83.6%)
Team statistical profile
Points per game: 80.7
Rebounds per game: 40.1
Assists per game: 14.8
Turnovers per game: 10.8
Field goal percentage: 47.6%
3-point percentage: 35.7%
Free throw percentage: 77.5%
The series
Ohio leads the all-time series 70-63. When the two programs last met Jan. 21, Toledo stomped Ohio 87-69 inside The Convo. Ohio trailed for almost the entire game and went 8-of-29 from beyond the arc. It scrounged a small rally midway through the second half, but Toledo closed the game on a 16-4 scoring run and shut Ohio down.
Toledo since Game 1
Toledo has continued to tear through its MAC slate. It has the best team field goal percentage in the conference and has scored 80 points or more in all but two conference games this season. It picked up a pair of wins against Buffalo and Akron two weeks ago, and it began February with a 20-point blowout of Eastern Michigan.
The Rockets aren’t invulnerable, however. They suffered their second loss to a MAC opponent and were knocked out of first place after being upset by Ball State 93-83 last Friday. Their 3-point percentage has also taken a slight dip since they beat the Bobcats. The Rockets are shooting 30% from beyond the arc over their last four games.
Player to watch
Rollins — The guard has been Toledo’s engine on offense this year. He’s second in the MAC for points per game and hasn’t scored fewer than 15 points since Toledo’s loss to Kent State in early January. The sophomore has averaged 21.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game since Toledo’s win over Ohio. Rollins was also one of three MAC players named to the Lou Henson National Player of the Year Mid-Season Watch List.
