CLEVELAND — The angst-ridden early afternoons of the past two seasons were but a distant memory Thursday.
No. 1 seed Toledo, which barely escaped against the 8-seed in 2021 and 2022, never trailed eighth-seeded Miami at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, rolling to a stress-free 91-75 victory over the RedHawks in the Mid-American Conference tournament quarterfinals.
“We did what we were supposed to do as the No. 1 seed when you’re playing the 8 seed,” Toledo coach Tod Kowalczyk said. “Nothing more, nothing less.”
It marked a school-record 16th consecutive win for Toledo, its 20th straight victory over Miami, and if the last two years foreshadowed doom, perhaps this year painted a picture of a prosperous team that has a date with destiny.