CLEVELAND, Ohio (Interstat) — The Toledo Rockets, fueled by a dominant first half and a balanced scoring attack, defeated the Massachusetts Minutemen 77-67 in a Mid-American Conference men’s basketball game Friday night at Rocket Arena.

The Rockets seized control early, building a 43-34 halftime lead behind efficient shooting and disruptive defense. Toledo shot 57.4 percent from the floor for the game, a stark contrast to Massachusetts’s 41.3 percent. The Minutemen’s offensive struggles were compounded by a 4-for-21 performance from three-point range and an 11-for-21 showing at the free throw line.

The most critical phase of the game was the opening 10 minutes, where Toledo established a rhythm Massachusetts never fully disrupted. The Rockets opened the game on a 10-2 run, capitalizing on early Minutemen turnovers. A sequence typifying the half saw Toledo’s Mynor Strong hit a three-pointer, followed by a Sean Craig three on the next possession, pushing the lead to 10-3 and forcing an early Massachusetts timeout. The Rockets’ lead ballooned to as many as 13 in the first half, as they consistently answered any modest Minutemen push with timely baskets.

Massachusetts, led by a game-high 21 points from forward Leonardo Bettiol, chipped away after halftime. A Bettiol hook shot and a Danny Carbuccia layup cut the deficit to 50-46 with just over 17 minutes remaining, prompting a Toledo timeout. The Rockets responded immediately out of the stoppage, with Craig converting a layup and a free throw to spark a 7-0 run that pushed the lead back to double digits. Massachusetts would never get closer than seven points the rest of the way.

Toledo’s victory was a collective effort. Sonny Wilson led the Rockets with 18 points, while Strong added 17 and Craig contributed 15 points, three blocks and key defensive plays. Craig’s defensive presence was pivotal in the second half, as he recorded two of his blocks during a crucial stretch to stifle Massachusetts’s interior attempts during their comeback bid. Leroy Blyden orchestrated the offense with seven assists to go with 12 points.

For Massachusetts, Carbuccia finished with 11 points and five assists, and Marcus Banks added nine points. The Minutemen won the battle on the offensive glass 12-3 but could not convert those extra chances sufficiently, hampered by their poor shooting night.

The game was a reversal of the teams’ January meeting in Amherst, which Massachusetts won 84-82. With the win, Toledo improved its season record to 19-14. Massachusetts fell to 17-16.

National statistical projections favored Toledo by approximately 2.5 points pregame, a margin the Rockets covered comfortably. The total score of 144 fell well under the over/under line of 158.5, largely due to Massachusetts’s offensive inefficiency.