Toledo basketball secured a double-digit win on the road at Detroit Mercy to improve to 2-3 this season.
The Toledo Rockets took over in the second half to defeat the Detroit Mercy Titans 85-72 at Calihan Hall on Saturday.
Toledo improved to 2-3 with the double-digit triumph on the road, taking down Detroit Mercy for a ninth straight time.
“It’s awesome anytime you win on the road. Wins on the road are hard to get,” Tod Kowalczyk told Frenetic Pace Sports in an interview. “Offensively, that was the best game that we played all year. We moved the ball. We played very well.”
Toledo got off to a quick start as forward Jaylan Ouwinga hit a 3-pointer on the opening possession, followed by guard Mynor Strong knocking down a mid-range jumper and guard Sean Jones connecting on a 3-pointer to take a 12-4 lead.
The Rockets built a 29-21 lead midway through the half after guard Will James Jr. fought through a foul to finish a layup.
However, Detroit Mercy had an answer of their own by going on a 7-0 run to take a 38-37 lead with 1:40 left in the half.
It appeared the Titans were going to take a lead into the locker room, before the Rockets forged ahead again as center Austin Parks scored a go-ahead layup, and forward Rich Barron drilled a 3-pointer to help Toledo go up 42-40 at halftime.
The second half was a totally different story as the Rockets regained momentum and dominated from start to finish.
Ouwinga threw down a fastbreak slam to silence the crowd, and Strong scored back-to-back buckets to extend the lead.
Just moments later, Toledo forward Chris Riddle snatched a steal, went coast to coast, and finished a euro-step layup to cap off a 14-6 run and force Detroit Mercy to call timeout. The Rockets held a 68-57 lead with 8:41 remaining in the game.
Toledo was able to put the final touches on the second win of the season as Strong grabbed a steal and threw down a dunk to extend the lead to 83-70 with 1:59 to go, and Jones sealed the 85-72 win with a clutch jumper in the final minute.
Strong recorded a game-high 22 points and four steals, and Ouwinga compiled 18 points, four rebounds, and one block.
Additionally, Jones finished with 10 points, seven assists, and three steals, and Parks had nine points and eight rebounds.
“Mynor Strong is the best defender in our league. He can really defend, and that’s exactly what we needed from him,” Kowalczyk said following the win. “Jaylan Ouwinga is playing at a high level. It was really good to see those guys play well.”
Toledo will get several days off before returning home to host the Robert Morris Colonials at Savage Arena on Thursday.
The Rockets are set to play only two games in the next two weeks, so it will be a critical opportunity to improve in practice.
“We have three days of practice before the next game on Thursday, and then we’re off for a while and don’t play until after Thanksgiving,” Kowalczyk said in an interview. “So this will be a window for us to address some things and get better.”
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