EASTERN MICHIGAN 72, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 69
YPSILANTI, Mich. (AP) -- James Thompson IV scored 21 points with 11 rebounds, Ray Lee scored 20 and Eastern Michigan beat Northern Illinois 72-69 on Monday in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament on Monday.
Ty Toney blocked Eugene German's 3-point attempt at the buzzer to preserve the win. Eastern Michigan (16-16) will play top-seed Akron (24-7) in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Lee's 3-point play off a layup made it 71-63 with 3:26 to go and Eastern Michigan held on. The Eagles missed their lone shot attempt after Lee's bucket and went 1 for 6 from the foul line down the stretch. Toney added 13 points for the Eagles but missed four free throws in the final 38 seconds to give the Huskies hope.
Baylee Steele made a layup with 11:05 left to play and neither team scored in a 2 1/2-minute span until Aaric Armstead buried a jumper. German added a layup and Northern Illinois (15-17) was within 58-55 with eight minutes left.
Marin Maric led Northern Illinois with 24 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Levi Bradley added 17 points and German 10.
WESTERN MICHIGAN 65, MIAMI (OHIO) 61
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) -- Tucker Haymond scored 16 points, Thomas Wilder had 15 points and nine rebounds and Reggie Jones had 13 points and eight rebounds and Western Michigan beat Miami (Ohio) 65-61 in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament Monday night.
Western Michigan (16-15) advanced to play Ball State (20-11) on Thursday. The Broncos have won nine straight and 10 of their last 11.
Miami (11-21) led 35-28 at halftime and had its last lead of the game at 49-48 with 9:44 remaining on Logan McLane's layup.
Jones made a layup, Wilder buried a three and Tucker Haymond made a layup and Western Michigan led by six (55-49). Jones made a pair of free throws with four seconds to go to seal the win.
Abdoulaye Harouna led the Red Hawks with 15 points, Michael Weathers had 14 points eight assists and seven rebounds and McLane had 10. Miami lost six of its last seven.
KENT STATE 116, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 106 (OT)
KENT, Ohio (AP) -- Jimmy Hall scored a career-high 33 points with 13 rebounds, Jalen Avery scored 17 of his career-high 24 points, including five 3-pointers, in overtime and Kent State beat Central Michigan 116-106 in Monday night's Mid-American Conference Tournament opener.
The sixth-seeded Golden Flashes (19-13) advance to play No. 3 seed Buffalo (17-14) in Thursday's quarterfinal.
Marcus Keene's 3-pointer put the Chippewas up 94-91 in OT, but Avery hit back-to-back 3s amid a 12-4 run and the Golden Flashes led 103-98. Central Michigan closed to 103-101 on another Keene 3, but Avery again replied with a 3-pointer and Kent State pulled ahead 111-104 on his free throw with 41 seconds left. Avery sealed it with four free throws in the final 25 seconds.
Jaylin Walker scored 29 with a career-best 14 boards, Deon Edwin added 17 points, and Mitch Peterson had 10 for the Golden Flashes, who trailed 53-40 at halftime and led 91-88 with 1:17 left in regulation before Braylon Rayson tied it with a 3.
Keene scored 41 points with nine 3-pointers and Rayson scored 32 with five 3-pointers for the No. 11 seed Chippewas (16-16).
It was Keene's seventh 40-point game of the season.
