CLEVELAND -- Karrington Ward scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as Eastern Michigan defeated Northern Illinois 53-48 in a Mid-American Conference tournament quarterfinal game Wednesday.

The victory over seventh-seeded Northern Illinois sends the No. 6 seed Eagles (20-13) into a Thursday semifinal game with No. 3 seed Buffalo (19-9), winner of the MAC East.

Northern Illinois had a 35-24 advantage at the break, but the Huskies stalled after halftime, scoring just nine points in the first 14 minutes of the second period and opening the door to a 13-3 Eastern Michigan run that put the Eagles on top, 44-42, with 7:57 to play. Glenn Bryant made a tip-shot with 1:18 remaining and Ward and Daylen Harrison combined for 4 of 4 from the line in the final seconds to keep the Eagles on top.

Jordan Threloff and Aaric Armstead had nine points each for the Huskies (15-17).