"This was a much-needed win, and I don't think we could have played harder," said Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk after the . . .
Senior Willie Jackson tallied a double-double with a team-high 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Rockets (13-14, 5-9 MAC). The remainder of Toledo's starting lineup - senior Luke Knapke (15 pts.), junior Marreon Jackson (12 pts.), junior Spencer Littleson (11 pts.) and redshirt freshman Keshaun Saunders (10 pts.) - also scored in double figures.
Marreon Jackson also dished out seven assists with just two turnovers in 37 minutes. The Rockets committed just seven turnovers for its second-lowest total of the season. Knapke and Willie Jackson each swatted away three shots as well.
Junior Rafael Cruz, Jr. topped Western Michigan (11-16, 4-10 MAC) with 21 points and was 5-of-8 from three-point range. The Rockets limited the Broncos' leading scorer, Michael Flowers, to seven points on 2-of-11 shooting.
Toledo shot 43.6 percent from the field but limited the Broncos to a 32.8 shooting mark. UT was 14-of-18 from the charity stripe, while WMU was perfect on 14 opportunities at the free-throw line.
Toledo appeared to be ready to pull away after taking a 53-45 lead on Knapke's three-pointer with 7:00 remaining. The Broncos took timeout and regrouped by putting together a 12-2 spurt for a 57-55 advantage just under four minutes later.
Willie Jackson knotted the score at 57-57 with 2:44 to play, and Littleson followed with a trey on the Rockets' next possession to give Toledo the lead for good.
Following a pair of WMU free throws, Saunders' three-pointer extended the Rockets' lead to 63-59 at the 1:26 mark. Marreon Jackson then hit three of four free throws before Willie Jackson's dunk with 23 ticks left closed out the scoring.
FIRST HALF
>> WMU took its largest lead in the opening 20 minutes after B Artis White's three-pointer put the Broncos in front 12-7 just over five minutes into the contest.
>> Toledo fought back to take the lead at 15-14 following two Marreon Jackson free throws at the 9:16 mark.
>> Neither team led by more than three points the rest of the way to close out a half that featured 11 lead changes and seven occasions when the score was tied.
>> Two Michael Flowers' free throws with 1:11 remaining in the half gave WMU a 29-28 advantage to take into the locker room.
SECOND HALF
>> Marreon Jackson's steal and layup got Toledo off to a quick start in the second stanza, but WMU took its largest lead, 38-30, by scoring nine straight points.
>> Toledo utilized strong defense to pull back in the lead, holding the Broncos to just one basket for nearly seven minutes as part of a 15-2 run to take a 53-45 lead with 7:00 to play.
>> WMU then hit six straight free throws and Rafael Cruz, Jr. buried two treys to give the lead back to the Broncos, 57-55, with 3:20 remaining.
>> Toledo held WMU to just two free throws the rest of the way, and Spencer Littleson and Keshaun Saunders hit big three-pointers in the final 2:30 to propel the Rockets to the victory.