Broncos end NIU’s frustrating season

 

CLEVELAND—Mike Douglas scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half, leading Western Michigan to a 71-54 win over Northern Illinois in the second round of the Mid-American Conference tournament on Wednesday night.Douglas, one of three senior starters, scored 11 during a decisive 17-1 run as the eighth-seeded Broncos (14-19) opened a 56-38 lead midway through the second half and coasted.Demetrius Ward added 13 and became the 36th player in Western Michigan history to score 1,000 career points.The Broncos will meet fourth-seeded Kent State in the quarterfinals Thursday. The Golden Flashes beat the Broncos 78-73 in overtime on Feb. 4.Tony Nixon scored 11 to lead the 12th-seeded Huskies (5-26), who upset Eastern Michigan, the MAC West’s regular-season champion, to advance to Cleveland.