Somehow, against the odds and despite the record it has and the criticism it has received, CMU is just two games back of the Mid-American Conference West Division lead.

Ball State and Western Michigan share the lead at this point, each at 8-5. And surely, Ball State controls it’s own destiny, with tiebreakers in hand. But CMU gave itself a chance Wednesday night in DeKalb, Ill.

The Chippewas exorcised their road demons against Northern Illinois, taking a one-point halftime deficit and erasing it in the second half.

Down by five, CMU used an 11-0 run in the final 4:38 to win its first road game since Nov. 24 — a span of 10 games — in a 64-58 final.

But more important than ending a road skid, CMU gave itself a shot toward a third consecutive MAC West title, or at least a share of it, and a shot at a first-round bye in the MAC tournament.

The Chippewas sit at 6-7 in the MAC, with home games against both teams ahead of them in the standings, and a road game against 1-12 Toledo.

It’s possible. Winning out, and seeing WMU and Ball State finish 1-2 is possible.

But a first-round bye in the tournament is what’s really important.

Really, it’s of ultra importance. After the two division winners are seeded, the rest of the conference is seeded by record, with nothing to do with division standing.

Last year, four of the top five teams came from the East. CMU likely would be seeded sixth or lower if it doesn’t win out this year.

Right now, the Chippewas have the ninth-best record in the conference, and the top four get a bye to the quarterfinals. They need to get in the top eight in order to host a home game in the first round, which is critical in making it to Cleveland.

CMU could break the top eight. But a run at a first-round bye?

It’s not probable.

Even with home games — where CMU is 5-1 in the MAC — against the two teams ahead in the standings, winning both is a task.

Let’s put it at 60 percent, considering how tight each previous game against the Cardinals and Broncos were played, plus the Chippewas’ home prowess.

Then, there’s the final remaining road game against lowly Toledo. CMU should win this game, in all reality. But a 1-6 conference road record makes any opponent a daunting challenge. It’s a 50-50 tossup.

CMU could gain a game on each opponent ahead of it since it plays both head-to-head. Ball State and WMU also play head-to-head.

But that’s where it gets interesting. The first tiebreaker for a multi-team tie is best record among the tied teams. Ball State already has wins against CMU, which it plays Saturday, and WMU.

Ball State also is 7-0 in the division, which is the next tiebreaker. It is ahead of WMU by two games and CMU by three.

CMU needs Ball State to lose out, with games at CMU, at WMU and home against Northern Illinois.

That would put the Cardinals at 8-8, exclude them from a share of the title, and allow the tiebreaker for two teams to kick in, which first is head-to-head record.

Then, while WMU would beat Ball State in this scenario, CMU needs the Broncos to lose at home to Eastern Michigan on Sunday, then lose the finale in Mount Pleasant.

That would give CMU a split with WMU in the season series, but a one-game lead in division games. The Broncos would finish 6-4 in the West; CMU would end at 7-3.

It’s the only way CMU gets a bye, and it’s long odds, to say the least.

But anything is possible.

And if CMU doesn’t get the bye, it is looking at a bottom six seeding, perhaps bottom eight if it doesn’t win out.

Such a seeding would create a tall task to even make a dent in Cleveland.