Toledo shot 61.3% in the second half and 56.4 for the night in pulling away for an 81-71 win Tuesday before a Nutter Center crowd of 3,182.
The Rockets pounded their hosts inside with forward Sean Craig pouring in 21 points and 6-10 center Austin Parks getting 14, including a couple of dunks off the Raiders’ noggins.
They had 13 offensive rebounds and a 28-21 edge on the boards while going 3-0 in the series over the last three years.
“The second half was as bad as it gets. We knew they were going to throw it into Parks, and we knew he was going to go baseline. And it just snowballed,” coach Clint Sargent said. “That’s what happens when you lose the battle in the trenches and the physicality of the game.”
It was a performance reminiscent of last year’s version of the Raiders — high-octane offense (they shot 55.3%) and indifference on defense — and a departure from their commitment to playing a more rugged style.
Forward Michael Imariagbe had 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, and point guard Michael Cooper had 15 points, but only three after halftime.
The Horizon League freshman of the week had four turnovers, all in the second half. And the Raiders (1-2) had 19 overall, 13 after halftime.
“We just came out flat. We had them right where we wanted them,” Imariagbe said.
The Rockets had 50 points in the paint.
“You’ve got to be strong inside. Me personally, I didn’t do a good job of that, stopping them from scoring inside,” Imariagbe said.
“That’s all they did. They didn’t shoot that many 3’s (5 of 10). We’ve got to do a better job taking them on with our chests.”
The Rockets (1-2) outscored the Raiders, 31-11, in the first 11 minutes of the second half. They made 15 of 24 shots in that span.
“They had 13 offensive rebounds. They shot more free throws,” said Sargent, whose team was 13 of 15, while the Rockets were 14 of 19.
“All those things we pride ourselves on — and I really do think we’ve been that consistently. But tonight, we weren’t in the second half when we really needed it. And we just got spooked.”
Next game
Who: Wright State vs. Radford
What: Greenbrier Tip-off
When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Radio: 1410-AM, 101.5-FM
About the Author