ROCKETS WIN THRILLER IN SAVAGE ARENA DEBUT

by

Fred Janiszewski

 

December 4, 2008 - Justin Anyijong tipped in a missed shot with just one second remaining on the clock to give the Toledo Rockets a 57-56 win over the University of Massachusetts at the new Savage Arena on Wednesday night..

The buzzer-beater was the perfect nightcap to an evening that featured the opening of the completely-refurbished arena and the dedication of Bobby Nichols Court:

It was also a special evening for Gene Cross who got his first home win as head coach of the Rockets.

“It was almost storybook. You couldn’t have picked a better ending or scenario to win a game like this. The tip-in at the end was so appropriate,” commented Cross in the post-game interview. “It so exciting for all of our fans and especially for our guys. You should have seen the looks on their faces when I walked into the locker room. That’s the reason why you do this as a coach, to see the looks on their faces after the ball goes in and you see them experience a victory like that.”

It truly was an exciting game for the 7,252 fans who packed the “new house” to witness the beginning of a new era in UT basketball: Unless you happened to be a supporter of the Massachusetts Minutemen, you just had to exit the building with a smile.

To be sure, the game wasn't pretty – Toledo was guilty of 20 turnovers – but the Rockets played hard for the entire 40 minutes and, in the end, came away with the win.

Senior guard Anthony Byrd hit three baskets in the first five minutes of the contest as UT jumped out to an early 12-5 lead. UMASS then answered with a 12-2 run to go up 15-14 at the 9:40 mark and maintained a slim lead for the rest of the period.

The teams went into intermission with the visitors holding onto a one-point, 32-31 lead.

Byrd led all scorers in the first half with 11 points

Despite shooting fifty-eight percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes, the Rockets were also guilty of committing eleven turnovers, and this led directly to 15 Massachusetts points.

The visitors were able to maintain a slim lead for the first eight minutes of the second half until Tyrone Kent hit a 3-pointer to put Toledo up by a point, 42-41, with 12:33 to play. Another Kent triple, followed up by a steal and a dunk, soon had UT up 49-43, but UMASS came right back with seven straight points to regain the lead, 50-49.

Amos scored on a lay-up to give Toledo a 55-54 lead with 3:24 left on the clock and this would be all of the scoring until the last seconds of the contest.

The Rockets had the lead and possession of the ball with 27 seconds remaining when Justin Anyijong turned the ball over to UMASS.

Kent was called for a foul with 18 seconds to play and Tony Gaffney converted both free throws to put the Minutemen back on top, 56-55. The stage was now set for the game ending heroics.

Toledo set up a a play for Kent to take the final shot, but when his lay-up bounced off the rim, Anyijong stepped up to tip the ball in, and the celebrating began.

Kent and Amos led the Rockets in scoring with 13 points a piece while Byrd clocked out with his 11 first-half points.

Kent and Anyijong each had seven rebounds for Toledo.