Rocket Docket

WNIT semifinals preview

WOMEN'S NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT
Semifinals

Charlotte at Toledo

Time: 8 p.m.

Records: UNCC is 27-9; UT is 27-8.

TV: CBS College Sports

Radio: 1230 AM

Series: UT leads 1-0

Notes:

• This is the final week of Toledo's season, win or lose tonight. 
• The Rockets have won 16 consecutive games at Savage Arena, the fifth-longest streak in school history and the longest since they won 17 straight at home between the 1997-98 and ’98-99 seasons.
• Charlotte and UT are both appearing in the WNIT semifinals for the first time in their programs’ histories.
• The 49ers are making their ninth consecutive postseason appearance, while the Rockets are making their second straight appearance in the WNIT.
• In their only other meeting, UT defeated Charlotte 77-66 in the second round of the National Women’s Invitation Tournament (NWIT) on March 23, 1990, in Amarillo, Texas.
• Illinois State and Southern Cal will square off in the other WNIT semifinal tonight, with the winners of both games advancing to the WNIT championship game at 3 p.m. Saturday at a to- be-determined site. 

WNIT 3rd round preview

WOMEN’S NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT
Third Round

Alabama at Toledo

Time: 7 p.m.

Records: UA is 18-14; UT is 25-8.

Radio: 1230 AM

Series: First meeting

Notes:

• Fans began lining up at 8 a.m. yesterday -- two hours before the UT box office opened -- to pick up tickets for tonight's game. 
• Third round games in the WNIT were originally supposed to be played tomorrow, Thursday or Friday, but since Alabama won at Northwestern on Sunday, the decision was made to have the Crimson Tide travel directly to Toledo for tonight’s game.
• The Rockets have won 14 straight at home and are 15-1 at Savage Arena this season. In three seasons under coach Tricia Cullop, UT is 39-4 (.907) on its home court, including 16-3 (.842) against nonconference opponents.
• Toledo is 3-4 all-time against Southeastern Conference foes but is 2-0 at home, with victories over Kentucky (1996) and Auburn (2011).
• Senior F Tierney Jenkins leads the Crimson Tide with 15.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.

WNIT Second Round preview

WOMEN'S NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT
Second Round

Auburn at Toledo

Time: Noon

Records: AU is 16-15; UT is 24-8.

Radio: 1230 AM

Series: First meeting

Notes:

• Toledo has won 13 straight at Savage Arena and is 14-1 at home this season. Auburn is 8-8 on the road.
• The Tigers are making their fourth postseason appearance in the last five years.
• The Rockets are 2-4 all-time against teams from the Southeastern Conference. The last time UT faced an SEC opponent was Nov. 28, 1999, when it lost to Vanderbilt 63-44 in the championship game of the First Tennessee tournament in Nashville. The other only time the Rockets have hosted an SEC team was Dec. 7, 1996, when they prevailed 80-54 over Kentucky.
• The winner of today’s game will face the winner of Sunday’s matchup between Northwestern and Alabama. Sites and times for the WNIT third round will be announced at a later date.
• All tickets for today’s game are general admission and are $13 for adults and $6 for children 12 and under. Parking is free, and all lots are first-come, first-served. 

WBB: MAC tourney semifinal preview

MAC Women's Tournament
SEMIFINALS

Eastern Michigan vs. Toledo

Time: 2:30 p.m.

Records: EMU is 21-11; UT is 23-7.

TV: SportsTime Ohio

Radio: 1230 AM

Series: UT leads 43-22

Notes:

• Top-seeded Toledo has won 11 of its last 12 contests, including a 73-65 come-from-behind victory over No. 8 seed Akron in a MAC tourney quarterfinal matchup Wednesday. Junior G Naama Shafir scored 20 of her game-high 28 points in the second half to help the Rockets overcome a seven-point deficit with 13:03 to play.
• Fifth-seeded Eastern Michigan knocked off No. 4 seed Kent State 69-65 in the quarterfinals, despite giving up a 12-point lead in the final 10 minutes.
• UT swept the regular season series against the Eagles, claiming a 72-56 road win Jan. 15 and a 65-64 home victory Feb. 23, but is 1-2 against EMU all-time in the conference tournament.
• The Eagles have three players scoring in double figures -- junior G Tavelyn James (17.8 ppg), senior G Cassie Schrock (14.7 ppg) and senior G Sydney Huntley (11.1 ppg). The trio combined for 57 of EMU's 69 points in the quarterfinal win over Kent State.

MBB: MAC tourney first round preview

MAC men's basketball tournament 

FIRST ROUND

Toledo at Ohio

Time: 7 p.m.

Records: UT is 4-27, 1-15 MAC; OU is 17-14, 9-7.

Radio: 1370 AM

Series: OU leads 65-53

Notes:

• The Rockets plan to use Ohio as a model of success for the MAC tournament.
• Toledo has 13 straight overall as well as 18 of its last 19 games since the end of December. The Rockets have also lost 46 consecutive road games.
• Ohio has won four straight over UT at the Convocation Center, including a 71-58 victory last month.
• Sophomore G D.J. Cooper leads the Bobcats with a MAC-best 7.4 assists per game and ranks second and fourth in the conference with 2.3 steals and 16.5 points per game, respectively. Ohio also has the league’s top two 3-point shooters in freshman G Nick Kellogg and senior F Tommy Freeman connecting for 45.3 and 44.2 percent, respectively, from beyond the arc.
• OU leads the MAC with 74.8 ppg and 15.29 apg and is second in free throw percentage (.718), 3-point field-goal percentage (.363) and assist/turnover ratio (1.12).

Central Michigan preview

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Central Michigan at Toledo

Time: 7 p.m.

Records: CMU is 19-8, 11-4 MAC; UT is 21-7, 13-2.

Radio: 1230 AM

Series: UT leads 39-26

Notes:

• Toledo will honor seniors Jessica Williams and Melissa Goodall in a ceremony before tonight's game.
• The Rockets can clinch an outright MAC regular season title for the first time since 2001 with a victory tonight. They've already secured a second consecutive West Division title and the top seed in next week's conference tournament at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Toledo's first game at the MAC tourney will be Wednesday at approximately 5 p.m. in the quarterfinals against a to-be-determined team. If the tournament started today, the Rockets would face the winner of Northern Illinois and Western Michigan.
• Central Michigan nipped the Rockets 78-74 in Mount Pleasant on Jan. 19. 
• UT is coming off a 57-53 loss at Northern Illinois on Saturday, a defeat that snapped a nine-game win streak.
• The Chippewas have won three straight following a 68-67 victory over Eastern Michigan last weekend.
• Central Michigan features a high-powered attack with five players averaging double figures led by Shonda Long's 16.5 ppg and Kaihla Szunko's 15.9 ppg. The Chippewas are 10-6 away from home this season.

Central Michigan preview

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Central Michigan at Toledo

Time: 7 p.m.

Records: CMU is 9-19, 6-8 MAC; UT is 4-25, 1-13.

Radio: 1370 AM

Series: UT leads 53-30

Notes:

• Toledo will hold its senior night ceremony honoring Justin Anyijong and Anthony Wright after tonight’s game.
• The Rockets have lost 11 straight, which ranks as the second longest losing streak in school history behind the 19-game skid set by last season’s squad.
• Central Michigan has won three of its last five games, but is coming off a 65-58 home loss to Ball State on Saturday.
• Sophomore G Malcolm Griffin leads UT with 12.7 points, 4.0 assists, 1.5 steals per game. He also averages 3.9 turnovers per game.
• Trey Zeigler, the son of CMU coach Ernie Zeigler, leads all MAC freshmen and is third in the conference with 16.6 points per game.

Eastern Michigan preview

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Eastern Michigan at Toledo

Time: 7 p.m.

Records: EMU is 18-9, 9-4 MAC; UT is 20-6, 12-1.

Radio: 1230 AM

Series: UT leads 42-22

Notes:

• The Rockets can clinch their first outright MAC regular season title since 2001 with two victories in their final three games
• Toledo ranks first in MAC play in field goal percentage (42.6%), scoring margin (+12.8), scoring defense (53.2 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (34.5%).
• Eastern Michigan has won two straight, including a 62-35 victory at Northern Illinois on Saturday.
• UT senior F Melissa Goodall needs just seven points to become the 22nd player in school history reach 1,000 career points.
• The Rockets are 11-1 at home this season, while the Eagles are 8-2 on the road.
• Junior G Tavelyn James leads EMU in scoring with 16.7 points per game.

Western Michigan preview

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Western Michigan at Toledo

Time: 7 p.m. tonight

Records: WMU is 7-17, 3-8 MAC; UT is 18-6, 10-1.

Radio: 1230 AM

Series: UT leads 45-18

Notes:

• Toledo, which holds a two-game cushion atop the overall MAC standings, has won six straight as well as 11 of its last 12 contests, including a 68-48 win over Ohio last Saturday.
• Western Michigan is coming off an impressive 83-64 victory over Miami on Saturday but is 2-11 on the road this season.
• Powering the Rockets offensively are junior G Naama Shafir (14.2 ppg, 5.3 apg), senior F Melissa Goodall (13.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg), and senior G Jessica Williams (10.3 ppg, 41.4 3-point field goal percentage). 
• The Broncos are led by senior G Taylor Manley and senior F Ebony Cleary, who average 13.5 and 13.0 ppg, respectively.

Ball State preview

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Toledo at Ball State

Time: 7 p.m.

Records: UT is 4-21, 1-10 MAC; BSU is 14-10, 6-5.

Radio: 1370 AM

Series: UT leads 41-37

Notes:

• Toledo has lost seven straight as well as 12 of its 13 games, and is dealing with a rash of injuries.
• Ball State is 1/2 game back of Western Michigan for first place in the MAC West standings, but has been on a downward slide since its 70-60 win at Toledo on Jan. 22. The Cardinals have lost two straight as well six of their last seven contests and are averaging just 61.7 points per game during that seven-game span.
• The Rockets have lost 43 straight road games as well as 59 of their last 60 as the visitor.  The last time UT won on the road was March 9, 2008, in a 90-83 overtime decision at Central Michigan.
• Sophomore G Malcolm Griffin leads UT and is fifth in the MAC with 16.7 points per game in conference play.
• Ball State leads the conference in scoring defense (63.2) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (31.3). Junior F Jarrod Jones ranks second in the MAC with 8.5 rebounds per game and is eighth with 15.0 ppg.