Toledo to Visit Robert Morris for Saturday Matinee

TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo men’s basketball team (5-4) travels to Moon Township, Pa. to face Robert Morris (7-4, 1-1 Horizon) on Saturday, Dec. 13. Tip-off time from the UPMC Events Center is set for 1:00 p.m. with streaming on ESPN+.

The Rockets are looking to bounce back from last Saturday’s 98-97 defeat at Oakland in a back-and-forth affair that featured 20 lead changes and nine ties.

Leroy Blyden Jr. led five Rockets in double figures with 20 points. Blyden had a chance to give the Rockets the lead with five seconds remaining but his three-pointer from the corner rimmed out.

Joining Blyden in double digits were Kyler Vanderjagt (16 pts.), Sonny Wilson (16 pts.), Sean Craig (15 pts.) and Jaylan Ouwinga (14 pts.). Craig also grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season, while Wilson dished out a career-high seven assists.

UT dominated the glass against the Golden Grizzlies by a 44-28 margin and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds.

The Rockets are led by the backcourt duo of Wilson (15.6 ppg) and Blyden (14.7 ppg) along with the frontcourt tandem of Craig (13.7 ppg) and Austin Parks (11.9 ppg). Craig leads UT with 8.0 rpg, with Blyden setting the pace with 5.2 apg and 2.2 spg.

Robert Morris split its opening two games of Horizon League play on the road last weekend by edging Green Bay, 80-78, and dropping a 74-72 decision at Milwaukee.

DeSean Goode leads the Colonials with 13.1 ppg and 9.0 rpg. He ranks 12th nationally with 4.0 offensive rpg. Joining Goode in double figures are Nikolaos Chitikoudis (12.0 ppg) and Ryan Prather Jr. (11.9 ppg).

GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025.
Tip-Off: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Moon Township, Pa.
Arena: UPMC Events Center (4,000).
Streaming: ESPN+. Chris Shovlin will provide play-by-play with Jim Elias serving as analyst.
Radio: Rocket Radio Network. WSPD (1370 AM) in Toledo. Mark Beier will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Jay Lehman serving as analyst.

DETAILING SATURDAY’S MATCHUP
• The Rockets are 3-1 vs. Horizon League opponents this season with their only loss coming in a 98-97 defeat at Oakland last Saturday. Earlier this season, Toledo defeated Wright State (81-71) on the road and Detroit Mercy (90-83) and Youngstown State (92-75) in Savage Arena.
• Toledo is meeting Robert Morris for the first time since posting a 70-56 home victory over the Colonials on Nov. 16, 2019.
• The Rockets’ first matchup vs. RMU was in the second round of the 2012 CollegeInsider.com Tournament in Savage Arena. Coron Williams paced the Colonials with a game-high 17 points in a 69-51 victory, while Rian Pearson topped the Rockets with 14 points.
• Toledo followed that defeat in 2012 with back-to-back wins in a home-and-home series in 2013 and 2014.

ROCKETS IN THE MAC RANKINGS (thru games played Dec. 10)
• Toledo ranks second in the MAC with a 77.2 FT%, third with 17.7 apg, and fourth with a 49.5 FG%, 8.2 spg, 12.2 offensive rpg and 1.45 assist/turnover ratio.
• Freshman Leroy Blyden Jr. is third in the MAC with 5.2 apg, 2.2 spg and a 47.7 three-point FG%, and eighth with 2.3 three-point FGs per game.
• Junior Austin Parks ranks fourth with a 66.1 FG%.
• Senior Sean Craig leads the MAC with 3.1 offensive rpg and is fourth with 8.0 rpg.
• Sophomore Jaylan Ouwinga is fifth with 1.2 bpg.
• Senior Kyler Vanderjagt is seventh with 1.6 spg.
• Junior Sonny Wilson is eighth with 3.9 apg and 11th with 15.6 ppg.
 
POSTGAME NOTES FROM SATURDAY’S LOSS AT OAKLAND
• The Rockets are now 6-3 vs. Oakland over the last nine years.
•  Toledo shot 53.2% and have shot 50 percent or better in five of nine games this season.
•  The Rockets held a 44-28 rebounding advantage but lost for the first time in five games this season when winning the battle of the boards.
•  Leroy Blyden Jr. tied his season high with 20 points and has led or tied for the team lead in scoring on four occasions. He also has led or tied for the team lead in assists in eight games and in steals in six contests.
•  Sean Craig notched his second double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
•  Sonny Wilson dished out a career-high seven assists and his 16-point outing extended his streak of scoring in double figures to 26 games dating back to last season.
•  Kyler Vanderjagt’s 16 points were his second-highest point total this season, one shy of his season-best 17 in the Rockets’ season opener.
•  Jaylan Ouwinga tied his career high with 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a career-high tying 27 minutes.
•  Phoenix Glassnor tallied seven points in 10 minutes in his season debut.

FREE-THROW FOCUS
Toledo has ranked in the Top 3 of the MAC in free-throw shooting and posted a 72.5 FT% or higher in 13 of the last 14 seasons. The Rockets have done even better dating back to the 2018-19 season, shooting 74.0 or better each year that includes this season’s 77.1 mark that currently ranks second.
Sean Craig leads Toledo with an 85.2 FT% and is followed by Kyler Vanderjagt (83.3%), Leroy Blyden Jr. (80.6%), and Austin Parks (75.0%).

ROAD WARRIORS
The Rockets are 1-1 in road games this season and have posted a 41-29 (.586) win-loss mark in road games since the start of the 2020-21 campaign. Toledo possesses a 64-49 (.566) win-loss mark on enemy courts since the start of the 2017-18 season.

ON THE HORIZON
Toledo will travel to East Lansing, Mich. to meet No. 9 Michigan State on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 6:30 p.m. The Rockets will then host NAIA foe Lourdes University on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 12:00 p.m. before taking a holiday break.