Toledo beats Eastern Michigan 59-44 in MAC semis

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:29 p.m. ET

foxsports

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Rian Pearson scored 18 points, Justin Drummond hit a big 3-pointer down the stretch and Toledo moved into the Mid-American Conference tournament championship with a 59-44 win over Eastern Michigan on Friday night.

The second-seeded Rockets (27-5) will play top-seed Western Michigan in Saturday's title game for the MAC's automatic spot in the NCAA field. The teams split their two meetings during the regular season.

Toledo, which has already set a school record for wins, will try to capture its first title since 1980, the last time the Rockets were in the NCAA tourney.

Nathan Boothe added 13 points and Drummond had 11 and 10 rebounds.

Glenn Bryant scored 11 for sixth-seeded Eastern Michigan (21-14), which won three games this week just to make the semifinals. The Eagles shot only 32 percent and scored 16 points in the second half.