In the first four minutes of Friday night’s nationally televised game between Toledo and Central Michigan, the Rockets had as many points as turnovers (two).
UT trailed 10-2 and looked lethargic and a tad uninterested. Tod Kowalczyk was visibly frustrated and let it out during a media timeout.
The Rockets responded with two 7-0 runs, settling in amid the muted atmosphere because of a winter storm and the Ohio State-Texas football playoff game, en route to a 69-67 win and a 3-0 start in the Mid-American Conference.
But they had to survive a frantic final-minute rally by the Chippewas.
Central had the ball down 68-65 with one minute left and missed a point-blank shot. Sonny Wilson made one of two free throws to make it a two-possession game, but a Toledo foul and two Central free throws cut it to two.
The Rockets turned it over with 26 seconds left, allowing the Chippewas to take the final shot. But Wilson locked down Kyle VanderJagt, who forced a contested 3 that never had a chance.
Central led for 14:12 of the first half, and Toledo led for all 20 minutes of the second half.
UT missed all five 3s in the second half but connected on 13 of 19 2-point attempts. The Rockets assisted on 17 of their 24 baskets.
Javan Simmons scored a team-high 17 points with eight rebounds and five assists. Sam Lewis scored 15 points, Sonny Wilson had 11 points, and Bryce Ford had 10.
Central’s Jakobi Heady scored a game-high 19 points. VanderJagt had 17.
Lewis, Simmons, and Ford helped the Rockets break out of their first-half malaise. Lewis had nine points, Simmons had eight points, five rebounds, and four assists, and Ford drilled two 3s.
STAT TO KNOW
In three starts, Bryce Ford is shooting 63.6 percent (14 of 22) from the field and 58.3 percent (7 of 12) from 3-point range.
QUOTABLE
“Javan said it best in the last timeout. He said, ‘Before the season started, I asked the players, ‘What kind of team do you want to be? Do you want to be the team that wins it on the defensive end or do you want to make a pretty play on offense?’ And to a man, they all wanted to win it on the defensive end.” — Kowalczyk
UP NEXT
The Rockets go on the road for a showdown with Akron (9-5, 2-0) at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
First Published January 11, 2025, 3:51 a.m.
