Toledo (12-1) turned in a dominant defensive performance on Saturday afternoon en route to its 10th straight victory, a convincing 77-45 triumph over Penn (10-3) in Savage Arena.
The victory came against a Quaker squad that had posted wins over defending NCAA champion Villanova and Miami (Fla.) earlier this season.
Penn’s 45 points were the fewest by a Rocket opponent since a 59-44 win over Eastern Michigan in the 2014 Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinals. In addition, Toledo limited the Quakers to a 30.5 field-goal percentage, the lowest by a UT opponent since Miami (Ohio) shot 30.4 percent on Feb. 13, 2016.
Seniors Jaelan Sanford and Nate Navigato paced a balanced attack with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Sophomore Marreon Jackson also scored in double digits for the fourth time in five games, finishing with 12 points and a team-high three steals.
Junior Willie Jackson tied his career high with 16 rebounds to go along with eight points. He teamed with junior Luke Knapke (9 points, season-high 10 rebounds) and freshman AJ Edu (6 points, 7 rebounds) to help the Rockets own a 45-35 advantage on the glass.
Knapke and Edu also dominated the paint defensively with four and two blocked shots, respectively.
Junior AJ Brodeur led Penn with a game-high 19 points.
Toledo will begin league play Friday, Jan. 4, with a nationally televised matchup vs. West Division rival Ball State (9-4) in Savage Arena. Tipoff time for the contest will be 7 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network.
For tickets, go to the Toledo Rockets website, call 419.530.GOLD (4653), or stop by the UT Athletic Ticket Office in Savage Arena. UT employees and retirees may purchase tickets at half-price; UT students are admitted free with ID.
