Knapke registered a triple double against . . .
"Luke really controlled the paint for us tonight and altered several more shots," Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk said. "This is a great reward for all the hard work he has put in towards becoming one of the best players in the Mid-American Conference."
Junior Spencer Littleson paced the Toledo attack with a game-high 19 points. Three more Rockets – junior Marreon Jackson (17), senior Willie Jackson (13) and redshirt freshman Keshaun Saunders (13) – scored in double digits.
Toledo enjoyed success from the perimeter by knocking down 11-of-24 (45.8 percent) three-point attempts. Littleson and Saunders led the way with 4-of-8 and 3-of-5 performances behind the arc.
The Rockets tallied a school-record 12 rejections, one more than they recorded on two occasions last year vs. Central Michigan. UT's defensive efforts limited the Vikings to a 33.3 field-goal percentage.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF
Toledo was scoreless for the first 3:18 until Luke Knapke and Spencer Littleson hit back-to-back three-pointer for a 6-5 lead.
The Rockets took the lead for good thanks to an 11-0 spurt that led to a 22-12 advantage.
Cleveland State reduced the Rockets' cushion to 32-26 but Knapke's three-point field goal 1:40 before halftime put Toledo back up by a 36-26 margin.
SECOND HALF
Toledo took control of the game with a 10-0 burst to expand its lead to 49-32 with 15:48 remaining.
The Rockets' lead didn't dip below single digits the rest of the contest.
Toledo converted 21-of-25 free throws in the second half after entering the bonus with 13:31 remaining in the game.
Toledo returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 8 when it hosts Marshall in a 2:00 p.m. matinee.
(Courtesy of UT Athletics)