March 12, 2004

Box Score| Quotes

By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND - Anthony Kann scored a season-high 24 points and top seed Western Michigan moved into the Mid-American Conference tournament championship with a 87-77 semifinal win over Toledo on Friday night.

Mike Williams, the MAC's player of the year, also had 24 for the impressive Broncos (25-4), who will try to win their first tourney title on Saturday night.

Western Michigan will play the winner of Friday's second semifinal between No. 2 seed Kent State and No. 3 seed Miami of Ohio for the MAC's automatic NCAA berth.

The Broncos used a 16-5 burst to blow open a tight game in the second half, capping the spurt with a pair of 3-pointers - their first after missing 11 straight.

They followed up a 34-point win over Marshall in the quarterfinals with another solid outing, displaying great patience on offense, making their free throws (28-of-32) and showing plenty of defensive grit.

The 6-foot-7, 245-pound Kann led the way, adding 11 rebounds as the Broncos pounded the Rockets on the boards, 44-28, and avenged a 93-84 loss to Toledo on Feb. 28.

Kann, though, limped off with 5:12 remaining and walked gingerly to the locker room after falling hard to the floor after brushing Toledo's A.J. Shellabarger. He returned to the bench a few minutes later.

Keith Triplett had 26 points and Justin Ingram 14 for the Rockets (20-10), who have to hope their resume is strong enough to land an NIT berth.

The Broncos, who haven't made the MAC finals since 1993, started slowly in the second half, missing 9 of 11 shots before things began to click.

Kann muscled inside for two baskets, Brian Snider scored another and Williams made a putback to put Western Michigan up 54-45 with 11:58 left.

Williams scored on a layup off a nice cross-lane pass from Snider and Reggie Berry and Levi Rost drilled 3s on consecutive trips to make it 60-48.

Western Michigan stretched its lead to 66-50 on a basket by Williams that came at the end of a possession in which the Broncos made 10 passes and used up two 35-second shot clocks before firing at the basket.

The Rockets cut it to nine points three times, but forced to foul, they watched Western Michigan knock down one free throw after another.

The Broncos led by six in the first half when Williams picked up his second personal foul - on a questionable call after contact with Shellabarger - and had to come out with 4:55 left.

Toledo, though, couldn't take advantage of Williams' absence as Western Michigan led 38-32 at halftime.