Cleveland, OH -- (Sports Network) - Chris McKnight scored 16 points to lead the third-seeded Akron Zips to a 73-62 victory over the second-seeded Western Michigan Broncos in semifinal round action of the Mid-American Conference Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena.

Cedrick Middleton added 13 points in the win for Akron (23-9), while Jeremiah Wood tallied 12 points and grabbed six rebounds. Brett McKnight chipped in 11 points off the bench for the Zips.

Joe Reitz posted a game-high 19 points and collected nine rebounds to pace Western Michigan (20-12) in defeat. David Kool and Shawntes Gary contributed 17 and 14 points, respectively, in the losing effort.

In the opening half, Akron knocked down 57.1 percent of its field goal attempts to take a 37-24 lead at the break.

The Zips shot at a scorching 61.1 percent from the floor during the second frame en route to the 11-point victory.

Akron advances to the MAC Championship game for the second straight year, and will face the top-seeded Kent State Golden Flashes on Saturday.