KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Daniel Utomi had 26 points and Freshman Virshon Cotton scored five of his 21 points in the final 45 seconds to help Akron beat Western Michigan 79-78 on Monday night in the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
Utomi was 9-of-12 shooting, including 6 of 9 from 3-point range, and Cotton had season-high-tying seven assists.
The 11th-seeded Zips will play No. 3 seed Eastern Michigan in the quarterfinals Thursday. Akron lost its only other matchup this season with the Eagles 63-49, its lowest scoring output since Dec. 16, 2014.
Cotton hit his fourth 3-pointer to give Akron (14-17) a seven-point lead with 45 seconds left, but Reggie Jones was fouled on a 3-point shot and hit all three free throws and then Thomas Wilder's steal and layup trimmed WMU's deficit to 77-75.