TOLEDO, Ohio — In an exciting close to the regular season, Javan Simmons delivered a remarkable performance, scoring 22 points to help Toledo secure a 96-82 win over Ohio on Friday.
Both teams concluded their Mid-America Conference regular season with identical 10-8 records, tying them for fourth place. This sets up a rematch between the two in the conference tournament’s quarterfinals on Thursday, which will be held at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
Simmons’ contribution was not limited to scoring. He also pulled down seven rebounds, buoying the Rockets (17-14). Sam Lewis was another key player, scoring 20 points and grabbing five rebounds. Seth Hubbard completed the night with 17 points, shooting 7-for-13 from the field and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line, and added nine rebounds to his tally.
Ohio, which ended the season with a 16-15 record, saw a strong performance from Elmore James, who led his team with 20 points and two steals. Shereef Mitchell added 18 points and two steals as well, and Jackson Paveletzke chipped in with 15 points.
Toledo took control of the game late in the first half, gaining a lead with 1:35 left and maintaining it throughout the remainder of the contest. Sam Lewis was instrumental in the first half, leading his team with 14 points to secure a 47-41 halftime advantage. Simmons continued to shine in the second half, scoring 16 more points, which was crucial in Toledo outpacing Ohio by eight points in the final stretch to clinch the victory.