Eagles go down, but CMU & Broncos advance in MAC tourney

In the first round of the 2012 MAC Men's Tournament, #8 Western Michigan used a balanced attack to erase a first half deficit, keeping the pressure on #9 Ball State in the second half as the Broncos beat the Cardinals, 69-63. With the win, the Broncos improve to 13-19 on the season and will face the Northern Illinois Huskies in the second round, played at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Broncos had five players score in double figures, led by senior forward Flenard Whitfield with 12 points. Mike Douglas added just five points.




On the road, #11 Central Michigan was able to celebrate twice as an official review confirmed that the #6 Bowling Green Falcons' final field goal came after the buzzer, giving the Chippewas a 54-53 win in the first round of the MAC Tournament.

Bowling Green's Torian Oglesby missed a layup with a second left, got his own rebound and put the ball back in. The Chippewas' celebration was cut short as both teams were called back to their benches while the officials reviewed the play, but the CMU bench erupted again several minutes later when officials called off the final shot.

With the win, Central Michigan will head to Cleveland for a second-round game against Toledo this Wednesday night.




In Ypsilanti, drama filled the arena as the #12 Northern Illinois Huskies would make their shots count down the stretch to post a 55-52 upset over the #5 Eastern Michigan Eagles at the Convocation Center in a first-round game of the MAC Tournament.

NIU would build a five-point lead, 53-48, with just 30 seconds left, but EMU would cut the deficit to three, 55-52, on a three-point field goal by junior guard Derek Thompson with 12 seconds left, but that was as far as the Eagles could go. The loss ends Eastern's season at 14-18.