• Blog
  • About Us
  • Links
  MAC Reporter Online

Williams shot sends Toledo past Bulls

2/10/2016

 
Picture
AMHERST, NY – Junior guard Jonathan Williams' basket with 1.4 seconds remaining lifted Toledo  to an emotional 71-69 come-from-behind victory at Buffalo on Tuesday evening. The victory moved UT (15-9, 6-5 MAC) into a three-way tie for first place in the MAC's West Division with Ball State (15-9, 6-5 MAC) and Central Michigan (13-11, 6-5 MAC).

Williams combined with freshman forward Nate Navigato to score 11 points in the final four minutes to help Toledo rally from a 67-59 deficit.  The Rockets' junior guard ignited UT's rally with a steal and layup with 3:25 to play.  Navigato followed . . . 

 . . . with a pair of free throws and a three-pointer to cut the Bulls' lead to 67-66 with 2:32 remaining. Williams then knotted the score at 69-69 on a corner trey with 39 seconds left before hitting his game-winner.

"We didn't play very well tonight, but good teams find ways to win on the road," head coach Tod Kowalczyk said following his 100th victory at the helm of the Rockets. "Jon-Jon and Nate (Navigato) both hit big shots after struggling most of the game, and getting wins at Kent State and Buffalo gives us a big boost heading into Saturday's game versus Miami."

Williams topped UT with 15 points. He was joined in double figures by junior forward Zach Garber (13 pts.), senior center Nathan Boothe (11 pts.), junior forward Nate Navigato (11 pts.) and sophomore guard Stuckey Mosley (10 pts.).

The freshman duo of forward Nick Perkins and guard CJ Massinburg paced Buffalo with a season-high 17 points and 12 points, respectively. Junior forward Blake Hamilton and senior guard Jarryn Skeete added 10 points apiece.

Toledo struggled on the offensive end with its 37.1 field-goal percentage and 6-of-26 showing (23.1 percent) behind the three-point arc.  However, the Rockets were able to make up for their shooting woes with a decisive 41-30 advantage on the boards and a 19-of-23 performance (82.6 percent) at the charity stripe.

Boothe paced UT on the glass with a game-high 11 rebounds to give him his sixth straight double-double and 12th this season. Garber also grabbed seven boards, including five of UT's 17 on the offensive end.

"Buffalo's defensive pressure kept us from doing things that we normally do," Kowalczyk said.I" don't think we were as strong as we needed to be with the ball, but we came up with some big stops and rebounds in the last four minutes to give ourselves a chance."

Buffalo held a 17-11 lead with 9:05 to play in the first half before junior guard Jordan Lauf hit a trey and Williams converted a three-point play to even the score at 17-17 a minute later. A pair of Mosley baskets put UT up 22-19 with 5:40 remaining before the break, but UB hit its final six shots of the period for a 37-28 lead at intermission.

The Bulls maintained a firm grasp of the lead until a Williams' trey reduced the Rockets' deficit to 64-59 at the 5:33 mark. Perkins buried his third trey with 4:33 left to put UT down eight. Toledo then came up empty on its next two possessions before Williams began the Rocket rally with his theft from Hamilton.

NEXT:
Miami at Toledo (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET)
Ohio at Buffalo (Friday, 7 p.m. ET)
(Courtesy of UB Athletics)
 

Comments are closed.
    Picture

    MAC Football 

    UPCOMING GAMES
    All times Eastern

    ​

    MAC FOOTBALL STANDINGS
    -- Final - 2022 -- 
    MAC EAST
    OHIO 7-1
    BUFFALO 5-3
    BOWLING GREEN 5-3

    MIAMI 4-4
    KENT STATE 4-4
    AKRON 1-7

    MAC WEST
    TOLEDO 5-3

    EASTERN MICHIGAN 5-3
    WESTERN MICHIGAN 4-4
    ​BALL STATE 3-5
    CENTRAL MICHIGAN 3-5

    NORTHERN ILLINOIS 2-6

    MAC Basketball 
    MAC BASKETBALL STANDINGS
    (Through 3-3-23)

    Team - MAC -- Overall
    Toledo 16-2 (25-6)
    Kent State 15-3 (25-6)
    Akron 13-5 (21-10)
    Ball State 11-7 (20-11)
    Ohio 10-8 (18-13)
    Buffalo 9-9 (15-16)
    Northern Illinois 9-9 (13-18)
    Miami 6-12 (12-19)
    Bowling Green 5-13 (11-20)
    Central Michigan 5-13 (10-21)
    Eastern Michigan 5-13 (8-23)
    Western Michigan 4-14 (8-23)

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Basketball
    Football
    Other

    Archives

    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

Proudly powered by Weebly