Courtesy: Ernie Aranyosi Steve McNees scored a season-high 18 points in UA's MAC tourney quarterfinal win over Eastern Michigan.

CLEVELAND – Steve McNees scored a season-high 18 points and nailed a 3-pointer with less than one second to go in overtime to help the third-seeded University of Akron men's basketball team to a 97-89 double-overtime victory over sixth-seeded Eastern Michigan on Thursday in a heated Mid-American Conference Tournament quarterfinal game at Quicken Loans Arena.

A free throw toss by UA's Darryl Roberts tied the contest at 78 with just over one minute to go in the first overtime period, but Jay Higgins hit a 3-pointer to give Eastern Michigan (17-15) an 81-78 lead with eight seconds left. Then, with no Akron (23-9) timeouts remaining, McNees took the ball down the floor and knotted the score with a clutch triple taken from near the top of the key to force the second extra session. McNees was 4-for-6 from the floor, including a 4-for-4 showing from 3-point distance, and made 6-of-8 foul shots. He also had five assists and a career-high-tying three steals.

UA outscored EMU 16-8 in the second overtime to claim the final margin, but in the final minute Eastern Michigan coach Charles Ramsey picked up his second technical foul and was ejected. Also, Eagles forward Brandon Bowdry was tossed for a flagrant foul and Akron's Anthony "Humpty" Hitchens had to leave the floor after picking up his second technical foul of the day.

Hitchens joined McNees and three other Zips in the double-figure scoring category, with 16 points on the strength of a 7-for-13 performance from the field. He also had four assists, compared to zero turnovers, and five rebounds. Brett McKnight and Zeke Marshall pitched in 13 points apiece for UA. Marshall, whose point total tied a career best, also had a team-high nine rebounds and a career-high and school-record-tying six blocked shots (also did so against Niagara on Nov. 29, 2009). Darryl Roberts finished with 10 points, thanks to an 8-for-10 showing from the line.

Akron used a 16-3 run that span over halftime to stretch its lead to 14 points (46-32) in the opening minutes of the second period, and was up 52-42 with 12:18 remaining, but Eastern Michigan cut it to three points twice (52-49 with 9:21 to go and 69-66 with 2:21 to go). The Eagles regained the lead on a Carlos Medlock 3-pointer with 58 second left and McKnight countered with a layup to make it 71-all with 38 seconds on the clock. EMU had one final possession, but Marshall blocked Justin Dobbins attempt – setting up the dramatic extra stanzas.

Medlock scored a game-high 42 points (the second most in MAC Tournament history) and had eight rebounds, while Bowdry posted 21 points and 14 boards for the Eagles. EMU shot 43.7 percent (31-of-71) from the floor and outrebounded UA, 45-39.

Akron finished at 47.7 percent (31-of-65) from the field and 57.9 percent (11-of-19) from 3-point range. Those 11 3-point makes tied the Zips' season high, which they established against St. Francis (Pa.) on Dec. 20 (went 11-for-25/44.0 percent in that game). UA had 19 assists, compared to 11 turnovers, and a season-high eight blocked shots.

The Zips advance to play seventh-seeded Western Michigan in the semifinal on Friday at 7 p.m. ET. That contest will be carried on FS Ohio. Akron, the defending MAC Tournament champion, has positioned itself in the semifinal round for the fifth-consecutive season. UA defeated Western Michigan 79-70 on Jan. 27 in Kalamazoo, Mich., in the only regular-season meeting between the two.

WMU upset second-seeded and MAC West Division champion Central Michigan 69-60 in Thursday's first quarterfinal matchup.

Zips Notebook: Dating to last season, Akron has won five-straight MAC Tournament contests and is 7-1 in the event since 2008 (lone loss came to Kent State in the 2008 title game) ... UA improved to 12-11 all-time in MAC postseason play (4-3 when playing as the third seed). Eleven of those wins have come under head coach Keith Dambrot ... Akron has won three of its last four and eight of its last 10 games ... The Zips improved to 10-5 this season in away/neutral games ... Akron evened the all-time series with Eastern Michigan at 18-18 and has won eight of the last nine meetings with the Eagles (2-0 against EMU in the MAC tourney, other matchup came on March 7, 2005 in Akron, 78-66) ... The Zips have won at least 23 games in each of the last five seasons.