YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Brandon Bowdry had 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead Eastern Michigan past Northern Illinois 65-59 in the first round of the Mid-American Conference tournament on Sunday.
The Eagles (17-14), the No. 6 seed, will face No. 3 seed Akron in the quarterfinals on Thursday in Cleveland.
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The game was tied 54-54 with slightly more than 5 minutes to play, but Eastern Michigan scored the next seven points. Justin Dobbins made a free throw and scored on a short jumper, while Carlos Medlock made a pair of free throws and a layup for the Eagles.
Dobbins finished with 13 points and Medlock 11. Jay Higgins scored 10.
Xavier Silas led Northern Illinois (10-20) with 20 points. Sean Kowal had 15 points and 11 rebounds. The Huskies led 22-8 early in the game but by halftime the lead was down to 29-23.
