Rockets Win Home Opener 86-77

The Toledo men’s basketball team won against Wright State 86-77 in front of an opening-night crowd of 4,037 at Savage Arena on Nov. 13.

Sophomore Sonny Wilson matched his career high of 20 points in a single game, a record set last year at Buffalo. Four other Rockets joined Wilson in the double digits: fifth-year senior Isaiah Adams (18 pts.), junior Seth Hubbard (15 pts.), and sophomore Sam Lewis (10 pts.).

“It was a heck of a win for us tonight against a program that I have a lot of respect for,” said Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk. “We played with great energy defensively and that led us to having a great start at the offensive end. We had good balance again also by sharing the ball and taking good shots.”

Wilson made 7-of-9 shots to help Toledo. He also scored a team-high eight rebounds, one shy of his career high.

Freshman Jaylan Ouwinga blocked a season-high four shots, helping the Rockets earn a season-best nine rejections—the highest since blocking nine vs. Ohio University on Feb. 8, 2022.

Sophomore Javan Simmons tied his career best of six assists. Sophomore Bryce Ford made a career-high four free throws while sophomore Sam Lewis earned a career-high five rebounds and four assists in addition to scoring double digits for a third consecutive game.

Toledo (2-1) never trailed during the game, earning 13-2 after the first five minutes of play. The Rockets held a 41-33 lead heading into the locker room before Wright State tied the score 49-49 with 14:35 left in the game. Toledo’s lead never fell below five points in the final ten minutes.

The Rockets are back on the road, returning to Savage on Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. to play the Oakland Golden Grizzlies.