CLEVELAND – Ball state rallied from nine points down in the final two and a half minutes of regulation and took a 76-73 overtime victory against Ohio in the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday night.

Chris Bond completed two three-point plays in the final minutes, including one that ultimately forced overtime, and Tyrae Robinson hit a go-ahead jumper and later the clinching free throw for the No. 4 seed Cardinals, who advance to face top-seeded Kent State.

DeVaughn Washington had 19 points to lead Ohio, and D.J. Cooper added 19 points and 10 assists, but he was just 5 of 19 shooting. Ivo Baltic had a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds, while Tommy Freeman scored 10 points.

Jesse Berry hit four 3-ponters and finished with 20 points to lead the Cardinals. Bond had 12 points, and Randy Davis scored 11 points, including a key 3-pointer near the end of regulation and another in overtime.

The Bobcats (18-15) matched their largest lead of nine points on a Cooper floater in the paint with 2:42 remaining, but the Cardinals were nearly flawless down the stretch in rallying back.

Bond’s first three-point play at the 2:28 mark made it 65-59, and after an Ohio miss, Davis made a 3-pointer at the 1:57 mark that quickly turned it into a one-possession game.

Both teams missed a shot, and after Baltic missed on the front end of a one-and-one with 1:09 remaining, Bond tied the game with 36 seconds remaining with a layup and free throw.

Ohio basically was able to hold for the last shot. Cooper missed a step-back fallaway jumper, and after picking up the loose ball, a Freeman heave at the buzzer also was off the mark.

Malik Perry opened overtime with a three-point play, but Ohio fought back to tie the game at 71 on a Nick Kellogg three-point play with 2:17 left in overtime.

Robinson hit a jumper, and after Washington made one free throw, Ball State leading scorer Jarrod Jones, who was held to eight points on 4 of 13 shooting, put the Cardinals up three with less than a minute left.

Kellogg came up with the rebound of his own missed 3-pointer, and took the ball to the hoop for a basket with a whistle, but he was called for an offensive foul, instead of getting a free throw that could have tied the game.

Jones missed for Ball State, giving Ohio another chance. Cooper, missed, though, and Robinson made the second of two free throws with seven seconds left.

Cooper was fouled with four seconds to go, and after making the first, he intentionally missed the second, and the Bobcats did come up with a long loose ball rebound, getting an off-balance Kellogg hoisted 3-pointer at the buzzer, but it was off the mark.

Ball State led the majority of the first half, going up as much as 20-10 on a Jones layup at the 10:53 mark. Ohio stormed back, however, with a 12-2 run, tying it at 22 on a Baltic jumper with 7:07 left in the half.

The Cardinals, though, went up by as much as eight again before taking a 36-31 lead into the locker room.

Ohio tied it early in the second half on a Washington dunk, and the Bobcats took a 41-40 lead on a Washington layup with 15:31 remaining, and never trailed in the half again.

After the Bobcats went ahead by as much as six, Bond made it a two-point game with a pair of free throws at the 7:52 mark. The Bobcats scored seven straight points, however, with a Freeman 3-pointer sandwiched between two Washington baskets.

The lead also went to nine after a Freeman steal led to a Kellogg layup with 3:32 remaining.

Ball State connected on 41.9 percent of their shots, including just 33.3 percent in the second half. Ohio shot 39.1 percent, and was just 1 of 7 in overtime. Both teams attempted 19 3-pointers, with Ball State making eight and Ohio just five.

No. 2 Western Michigan and No. 6 Akron meet in the first semifinal game at 7 p.m., with Ball State and Kent State to follow at about 9:30 tonight at Quicken Loans Arena.