 "Photo: Nick Kneer / IC")
 "Photo: Nick Kneer / IC")
Freshman co-captain Jake Barnett recorded a career-high 26 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Rockets to a 76-67 victory over the University of Maryland Baltimore County at Savage Arena on Saturday. Barnett was one of three UT freshmen to score in double figures for the Rockets (2-6, 0-0 Mid-American Conference), who won their second consecutive game of the season.
“I was really proud of them,” Toledo Head Coach Gene Cross said. “I thought we started a little sluggish, but then we kind of got a rhythm going on offense and defense. I thought that Jake Barnett played an outstanding game and he basically carried our team. We used his energy throughout the entire game and came out with the victory.”
Barnett shot 6-of-12 from the field, 4-for-8 from behind the three-point line and knocked down 10-of-11 free throws against the Retrievers (0-7, 0-0 American East Conference).
“I’m just happy that my teammates were able to find me today,” Barnett said. “I had the hot hand. It could be anyone on any different day, and it just so happened that it was me today.”
Freshman guard Stephen Albrecht contributed 14 points and three assists, while classmate Jordan Dressler had 13 points and five rebounds in 23 minutes of play. The 6-8 forward went 5-for-5 from the field and 3-for-3 from the free throw line in the contest. Junior forward Justin Anyijong also scored in double figures for Toledo with 11 points, while classmate Mouhamed Lo had eight points, eight boards and two blocks.
The Rockets out-rebounded UMBC 40-28 in the contest, 30 of which were on the defensive end. In the second half, Toledo held a 20-9 edge on the defensive glass and limited the Retrievers to 40 percent shooting from the field—down from its’ 45.8 percent in the opening period.
“We had some great defensive possessions in that second half,” Cross said. “If you defend and you rebound, you give yourselves a better chance of winning, and that’s what we’re going to hang our hat on.”
The Rockets got off to a slow start, shooting just 22.2 percent from the field and committing four turnovers in the first nine-plus minutes of the game as UMBC held a 9-8 lead with 11:35 left to play in the first half. Anyijong found Dressler underneath the basket for an easy two to give Toledo a 10-9 advantage, but the Retrievers reeled off an 8-0 run to take a 17-10 lead by the 9:38 mark.
Sparked by five straight points from Dressler, Toledo made it a 17-15 game with 8:04 to go in the half. Barnett answered two three-pointers from UMBC’s Brian Neller with three treys of his own as the Rockets took a 24-23 lead at the 4:31 mark and outscored the Retrievers 14-5 to take a 38-28 lead into halftime.
In the second half, Toledo quickly padded three more points onto its lead after a three-point play from Barnett made it 41-28 with 18:40 remaining in the game. UMBC responded with a 10 unanswered to make it a three-point game by the 15:27 mark. The Rockets countered by outscoring the Retrievers 14-5 from that point and led 55-43 with 6:47 to go. UMBC’s closest margin after that was nine as Toledo made 13-of-16 free throws down the stretch for the 76-67 victory.
“We bent but we didn’t break,” Cross said. “That was a very teachable moment for our guys to say that we can make mistakes and we can weather the storm, but it’s how we react to the things that happen to us that are going to define how we are as a group.”
The Rockets return to action tomorrow night when they take on Wright State (5-2, 2-0 Horizon League) at 7 p.m. in Savage Arena.
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