Joining Jackson in double figures were senior Nate Navigato (16 pts, 4-of-5 3fg), senior Jaelan Sanford (12 pts.), senior Chris Darrington (12 pts., 6-of-6 FTs) and junior Luke Knapke (12 pts.).
Junior Willie Jackson tallied a team-high 12 rebounds, but fell short of his eighth double-double by finishing with seven points.
Juniors Antonio Green and Reggie Scurry paced the Blue Raiders with 13 points apiece. UT held Green over five points below his team-high 18.5 scoring average.
The Rockets also limited MTSU to a 42.6 shooting mark, including a 4-of-17 effort (23.5) behind the three-point arc. Toledo shot 45.9 percent from the field and was 11-of-26 (42.3) percent from downtown.
The Rockets continue their four-game homestand on Wednesday, Dec. 19 against Cornell (4-4). The Big Red will be the first of two Ivy League opponents UT will face, with a visit from Penn (9-2) looming on Saturday, Dec. 29
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF
- Middle Tennessee scored the game's first five points. Luke Knapke's three-pointer gave Toledo its first lead, 10-9, at the 16:28 mark and Jaelan Sanford's jumper just over 30 seconds later put the Rockets ahead to stay.
- Marreon Jackson's three provided the Rockets their first double-digit advantage, 30-18, with 9:03 remaining in the first half.
- The Rockets closed out the first half with a 6-0 spurt in the final 40 seconds to take a 48-30 lead at intermission. Jackson buried a jumper to begin the spurt and Nate Navigato and Chris Darrington each hit two free throws with 2.6 seconds remaining after Middle Tennessee was whistled for a technical foul.
- Toledo shot 55.6 percent in the first half, including 7 of 13 from 3-point range. The Rockets were also 11-of-13 from the free-throw line and committed just two turnovers.
- Darrington, Jackson and Sanford each scored a team-high 10 points in the first half.
SECOND HALF
- Toledo's lead dipped to 14 points just twice in the first seven minutes of the second half.
- The Rockets put the game away with a 12-0 spurt for a 68-42 cushion with 8:09 to play. Knapke and Marreon Jackson keyed the game-clinching run with five points apiece.
- Middle Tennessee hit a pair of three-pointers in the final minute to reduce UT's final margin of victory to 22.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- The Rockets' 10-1 start is their best since opening the 2013-14 campaign with 12 straight victories.
- Toledo has had at least four players score in double digits in 10 of 11 contests and has had five players scoring in double figures on five occasions.
- Toledo entered the contest ranked seventh nationally with a 78.4 FT%. The Rockets were 17-of-21 (81.0 percent) from the charity stripe to raise their season mark to 78.6
- Toledo was outrebounded by a 38-36 margin, marking just the third time this season UT has lost the battle of the boards.
- Nate Navigato was 4-of-5 from three-point range and has hit three or more treys in nine of 11 contests.