Rian Pearson scored 17 of his 27 points in the first half as Toledo took a 20-point halftime lead and coasted to an 82-67 victory over Illinois-Chicago Saturday night.
The Rockets (4-1), who started four guards and a forward, were too quick for Illinois-Chicago (2-3) from the start. In the first half, Toledo shot 55.2 per cent from the floor, sinking 16 of 29 field goal attempts. The Rockets hit 3 of 6 3-point shots.
Illinois-Chicago, meanwhile, was horrid from beyond the 3-point arc. The Flames made 2 of 15 3-pointers in the first half. Overall, they shot 30.6 per cent (11 of 36) from the field and trailed 45-25 at the break.
Julius Brown scored 17 points for Toledo, which shot 53 per cent (26 for 49) from the floor. Illinois-Chicago was 27 of 73, just 8 for 30 on 3-pointers. Hayden Humes led the Flames with 11 points.
