YPSILANTI, Mich. -- 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.