Cal State Fullerton: 2021-22 Big West Men's Basketball Champions

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — E.J. Anosike had 22 points and eight rebounds, Damari Milstead hit five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points and CSU Fullerton rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat Long Beach State 72-71 on Saturday night to the Big West Conference tournament.

The Titans, who have won four games in a row, clinched a berth into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018.

Tray Maddox Jr. had 13 points and six assists for Fullerton (21-10) and Jalen Harris scored 10.

Tobias Rotegaard and Jadon Jones sandwiched 3-pointers around a jumper by Joel Murray to give Long Beach State a 54-50 lead midway through the second half but Anosike scored nine points and Harris the other five as CSU Fullerton answered with a 14-2 run to take an eight-point lead about 5 minutes later and the Titans led the rest of the way.

Jones hit a 3-pointer to pull the Beach within a point with 38 seconds left and, after the teams traded turnovers, Milstead was fouled and missed the front end of the 1-and-1 with 19 seconds left but Latrell Wrightsell Jr. poked away the ball at the other end and Long Beach State failed to get off a potential winning shot in the closing seconds.

Murray led Long Beach State (20-12) with 24 points and Colin Slater, the conference's player of the year, scored 23, hitting 5 of 9 from 3-point range. Jordan Roberts added 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Slater scored 13 points, including three 3-pointers, as Long Beach State jumped to a 29-15 lead with 4:37 left in the first half but Maddox scored eight points and Anosike added six in a 17-2 run that gave the Titans a one-point lead at the break. Maddox converted a three-point play with 55 seconds left and Wrightsell stole a pass and found Maddox for a 3-pointer to make it 32-31 just 20 seconds later.

Wrightsell and Fullerton's Jadon Jones were called for a double technical in the closing seconds of the first half.

New Mexico State: 2021-22 Western Athletic Men's Basketball Champions

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Clayton Henry had 15 points and eight rebounds to help New Mexico State beat Abilene Christian 66-52 on Saturday night in the championship game of the Western Athletic Conference tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Sir’Jabari Rice scored 11 points for New Mexico State (26-6). Teddy Allen and Mario McKinney Jr. added 10 points apiece.

The Aggies won their 10th WAC title overall, their first since 2019.

Henry hit a 3 and Allen made three free throws after he was fouled on a shot from behind the arc before Rice capped a 9-0 spurt with a 3-pointer that made it 14-10 about 6 minutes into the game, and the Aggies led the rest of the way.

Coryon Mason led Abilene Christian (23-9) with 14 points. Airion Simmons and Mahki Morris scored 12 apiece.

The Wildcats had their five-game win streak snapped. Abilene Christian, the No. 6 seed, beat seventh-seeded Utah Valley in the first round before knocking off No. 3 seed Stephen F. Austin in the quarterfinals and second-seeded Seattle in the semis.

Rice hit a 3-pointer and added two free throws to spark a 10-2 run that made it 44-30 with 13:56 to play. Mason made two foul shots to trim the deficit to nine, but Johnny McCants hit a jumper to make it 49-38 with 9:41 left and the Aggies led by double figures the rest of the way.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi: 2021-22 Southland Men's Basketball Champions

KATY — The wait is over.

For the first time in 15 years, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball team is going to the NCAA Tournament.

Riding a strong defensive performance to hold Southeastern Louisiana to 39 percent shooting, the Islanders held off the No. 2 seed Lions with a 73-65 win in the Southland Conference Tournament championship game.

In his first year leading the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Steve Lutz and the Islanders secured the school's second-ever berth in the Big Dance, holding off a charging Lions squad for their third win in three days. 

The Islanders lost twice in the Southland Conference Tournament championship 2016 and 2017 since their lone berth in the tournament, but Saturday they were the bridesmaid no more.

A&M-Corpus Christi used a balanced scoring night led by guards Jalen Jackson and Terrion Murdix, who had 13 points each and 12 points from De'Lazarus Keys. 

The 4-seeded Islanders had to beat No. 5 Houston Baptist, No. 1-seed Nicholls and the 2nd-seeded Lions to win the tournament.

A&M-Corpus Christi now awaits the NCAA Tournament selection show on Sunday to find out where they will play next week.

Arizona: 2021-22 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Champions

The Arizona Wildcats are the outright 2021-22 Pac-12 Conference champions after winning both the regular season and conference tournament.

Arizona basketball survived a back-and-forth Pac-12 Tournament championship game in Las Vegas on Saturday night, beating the UCLA Bruins, 84-76.

The Wildcats managed to do so without the help of starting guard Kerr Kriisa the last two contests, as the Estonian suffered an ankle injury in Arizona’s conference tourney quarterfinal win over Stanford on Thursday.

Kriisa was seen walking without a boot or crutches before Saturday night’s contest after being wheelchaired out of the arena on Thursday and seen on the bench with a boot and crutches on Friday.

After trailing 40-35 at halftime, Arizona went on a 22-5 run over a nine-minute stretch in the second half to take a 63-58 lead.

That was largely due to Wildcats guard Bennedict Mathurin, who led the game in scoring with 27 points, 18 of which came in the second half.

Mathurin finished the night shooting 6-of-14 from the field (43%) and 2-of-6 from beyond the arc while going 13-for-15 from the free throw line (87%) in 39 minutes played.

The win improves Arizona’s overall record to 31-3 (18-2 Pac-12) and practically solidifies the Wildcats as a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament.

And with selection Sunday at 3 p.m., there’s a chance Arizona could be the No. 1 overall seed.

UAB: 2021-22 Conference USA Men's Basketball Champions

 

FRISCO, TX. (WBRC) - The Blazers are going dancing once again.

UAB defeated Louisiana Tech 82-73 Saturday, to win the Conference USA Championship. This was the Blazers first Conference USA Title since defeating Middle Tennessee in 2015.

The Blazers led the Bulldogs by ten at the half, but the Bulldogs fought back to make it a three point game in the second half. However, the Blazers held on to secure the win, and clinch a spot in the NCAA Tournament

This was the third time the Blazers played the Bulldogs this season, with UAB winning both regular season matchups.

Jordan Walker led the Blazers with 27 points, while Michael Ertel finished with 15.

This is the first NCAA tournament appearance for the Blazers since 2015, when they made it to the round of 32. They will see who they play in the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday.

Virginia Tech: 2021-22 Atlantic Coast Men's Basketball Champions

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Mission accomplished. No. 7 Virginia Tech defeated No. 1 Duke 82-67 to claim the 2022 ACC Tournament Championship, the first in program history. In what’s been a magical week for the Hokies, it ended on a high note at the Barclays Center on Saturday night. With the win, Virginia Tech earns an automatic bid into next week’s NCAA Tournament.

The tempo was fierce from the start for the Hokies and Blue Devils--Tech shooting 5-of-7 from the field while Duke was just as good, shooting 6-of-8, through the first media timeout.

The difference maker? Hunter Cattoor. He finished with a career-high 31 points (7-of-9 from three point range) the second most for any VT player in an ACC Tournament game.

This proved to be Mike Young’s sixth career conference title win, first with Virginia Tech.

Duke had three players finish in double-figures but were a dismal 18 percent shooting from three point range.

Montana State: 2021-22 Big Sky Men's Basketball Champions

For the first time in 26 years, Montana State came away with top honors in the Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament Saturday night.

The Bobcats whipped Northern Colorado, 87-66, in a game that aired on national television and was played in front of a large crowd at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho. Montana State will take a 27-7 record into the NCAA tournament, which starts on Tuesday with the First Four games.

The Bobcats built a 40-28 halftime lead, hitting 15 of 30 shots from the floor, including 6 of 12 from 3-point range. Eight team members scored in the half, led by Nick Gazelas and Tyler Patterson, each with eight points. 

Montana State, who finished first in the Big Sky standings, poured it on down the stretch. The Cats led by 25 points with 7 minutes left and coasted to victory.

Xavier Bishop led Montana State in scoring with 19 points. Amin Adamu added 16 points, Gazelas 15 and Patterson 14.

The Cats shot 52 percent from the floor (27 for 52). The Bears shot 30 percent against Montana State's feisty defense (19 for 63).  

Northern Colorado, who split with MSU in the regular season, fell to 20-15 with the loss. 

Akron: 2021-22 Mid-American Men's Basketball Champions

Akron dominated a battle of red-hot Northeast Ohio teams to claim the 2022 Mid-American Conference Tournament championship with a 75-55 victory over backyard rival Kent State Saturday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. 

The fourth-seeded Zips (24-9) earned their eighth consecutive victory, snapped the Golden Flashes’ 14-game winning streak, and avenged a pair of regular season losses to Kent State (23-10). Akron knocked off No. 5 seed Buffalo, No. 1 seed Toledo and the second-seeded Flashes to claim their first MAC tourney crown since 2013. 

Sophomore forward Enrique Freeman led four Zips in double figures with 23 points (8-of-10 field goals), and also grabbed a team-high six boards. Junior guard Xavier Castaneda finished with 15 points and five steals while playing suffocating defense on MAC Player of the Year Sincere Carry. 

Sophomore wing Ali Ali produced 15 points and four assists, while freshman guard Garvin Clarke drained 3-of-5 3-pointers for 11 points. 

Senior forward Justyn Hamilton led Kent State with 19 points (8-of-10 field goals) and eight rebounds. He was the lone KSU player in double figures. Carry finished with a season-low six points (2-of-11 field goals) and a season-high nine turnovers. 

The Flashes were forced to play the first half with junior Malique Jacobs (7 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds), their leading scorer in the first two games of the MAC Tournament with 40 points. Jacobs was one of four players disciplined by the MAC for their roles in a video with a racial epithet, vulgar language and taunting that surfaced on social media. 

Kent State jumped out to a 10-3 lead, and was up 13-6 on the strength of 11 early second-chance points. But those opportunities dried up, and the Zips began to settle in after Ali and Dawson drained 3-pointers.  

A Clarke 3 put Akron up 23-20, then Castaneda gave Carry his seventh turnover and notched his fourth steal when he ripped the ball away at midcourt and hit a layup.  

The Flashes only managed three points in the final 4:56, on Hamilton’s second 3-pointer of the season, as Akron pushed its lead out to 34-25 at the half.  

Carry finished the first half with three points on 1-of-7 shooting from the field, with two assists compared to the seven giveaways. Meanwhile Ali scored nine points and hit 2-of-3 3s for the Zips, who were 5-of-11 from distance overall. 

With Jacobs back in the lineup the Flashes started the second half on an 8-0 run. A Carry 3 with an assist from Jacobs cut Akron’s lead to 34-33 with 17:54 remaining.  

But the Zips quickly regained control behind a pair of 3s from Clarke and another by Castaneda. Then an 11-0 spurt put Akron in complete command, up 56-39 with under eight minutes remaining after a layup by Freeman. The issue was never in doubt the rest of the way. 

Texas Southern: 2021-22 Southwestern Athletic Men's Basketball Champions

Alcorn State had two victories over Texas Southern in the regular season, but the SWAC Tournament is a different story. Texas Southern came away with a 87-62 win over Alcorn State, earning the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Junior guard PJ Henry spearheaded the Tiger attack early, finishing with 15 points on 6-11 shooting. John Walker III was the leading scorer with an efficient 17 points on 6-8 shooting in just 20 minutes.

Efficiency was the theme of the night for Texas Southern. The Tigers shot 55 percent from the floor, 44 percent from three and 71 percent from the free throw line.

Alcorn State struggled from the field shooting 28 percent. It was particularly bad in the second half when the Braves went 6-34, shooting just 17 percent. The Braves were led by Justin Thomas who finished with 18 points.

Texas Southern held a slim 42-38 lead at the half before boat racing Alcorn in the second half. TSU outscored the Braves 45-24 in the final 20 minutes.

With back to back championships now on their resume, the Tigers will return to the NCAA Tournament. They will find out their destination on Sunday during the NCAA selection show.

The season isn’t over for Alcorn State either. By virtue of being the regular season champion in the SWAC and not winning the tournament, it will receive an automatic bid to the NIT Tournament. The NIT selection show is Sunday night after the NCAA reveals its bracket.

Villanova: 2021-22 Big East Men's Basketball Champions

NEW YORK (AP) — Collin Gillespie buried consecutive 3-pointers late in the game that put No. 8 Villanova ahead for good, and the Wildcats beat Creighton 54-48 to win the Big East Tournament championship Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

Gillespie missed this tournament and the NCAAs last season with a torn ligament in his left knee. But a year later he made the clutch shots in the waning minutes, hitting the go-ahead 3 over the outstretched arm of 7-foot-1 center Ryan Kalkbrenner with 2:44 left.

The 6-foot-3 senior came right back and did it again over Kalkbrenner, the Big East defenseive player of the year, for a 50-45 lead, sending the Wildcats to yet another championship under coach Jay Wright.

Villanova won Big East Tournament titles under Wright in 2015 and from 2017-2019. The school also won national championships in 2016 and 2018 under Wright.

Justin Moore and the rest of Villanova’s starters circled Gillespie and fired him up before he went to the free-throw line in the final seconds. The two-time conference player of the year hit both and was soon mobbed by teammates at midcourt to kick off the championship party.

Boise State: 2021-22 Mountain West Men's Basketball Champions

LAS VEGAS — The Boise State men's basketball team made history Saturday, taking down San Diego State 53-52 in Las Vegas to clinch the first Mountain West Tournament Championship in school history. 

For the 12th time this season, the Broncos (27-7, 15-3 MW) battled to win a contest by six points or less. Saturday's title game at the Thomas & Mack Center went down to the wire, with the Aztecs missing two potentially game-winning shots with less than 10 seconds to play. 

Mountain West Freshman of the Year Tyson Degenhart led all Bronco scorers with 13 points to go along with 4 rebounds and 2 assists. 

Emmanuel Akot added 10 points in Boise State's big win and senior forward Abu Kigab filled the stat line with 11 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

The win over the Aztecs (23-8, 13-4) marks Boise State's first men's basketball conference championship since it won the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in 2008.

The Broncos' 2022 squad is just the sixth team in Mountain West history to win both the outright regular season title and the Mountain West Tournament Championship crown. Boise State came out victorious in each of its three contests with the Aztecs this season. 

Saturday's win also gives Boise State an automatic qualifier bid to the NCAA Tournament, where the Broncos will be the highest seeded team out of the Mountain West. 

The NCAA Tournament Selection Show airs Sunday at 4 p.m. MT. When the Broncos learn their March Madness fate, they will be surrounded by Bronco Nation back home in Boise.

Earlier this week, Boise State Athletics announced the Broncos will be hosting a watch party for Selection Sunday at ExtraMile Arena from 3-5 p.m. MT. 

The event is free for the public to attend and parking in the West and East Stadium Lots also is free. Boise State said attendees should use Entry 2 to enter the watch party.

Kansas: 2021-22 Big 12 Men's Basketball Champions

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- — David McCormack had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Ochai Agbaji made a pair of clinching foul shots with just over a minute to go, and sixth-ranked Kansas beat No. 14 Texas Tech 74-65 on Saturday night to win the Big 12 Tournament title.

Agbaji finished with 16 points, Christian Braun had 14 and Jalen Wilson and Remy Martin 12 apiece to lead the Jayhawks (27-6), who showcased poise and resilience in the final minutes while the Red Raiders fumbled away a chance at the title.

Texas Tech trailed 63-58 with about 4 minutes to go when Terrence Shannon Jr. was called for charging. Kevin Obanor turned it over on the Red Raiders' next possession, then stepped over the end line while trying to inbound the ball for another turnover, each of them allowing the Jayhawks to draw away down the stretch.

The heavily pro-Kansas crowd began its haunting "Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk" chant with 28.6 seconds left on the clock, and coach Bill Self's squad coasted to its 12th conference tournament title since the league's inception in 1996-97.

It probably locked up a No. 1 seed in next week's NCAA Tournament, too.

Shannon finished with 14 points, and Bryson Williams had 17 for the Red Raiders (25-9), who still have never won the Big 12 Tournament. They also lost to Oklahoma State in their only other championship appearance in 2005.

The teams, who finished a game apart in the Big 12, waged a pair of nip-and-tuck classics during the regular season with each winning at home. Their game at Allen Fieldhouse may have been the league's best all year, a back-and-forth showdown that went to double overtime before the Jayhawks escaped with the win.

Just how evenly matched were they Saturday night?

Neither team scored more than five straight points in the first half. Neither led by more than four. Neither scored more than two straight baskets without the other team providing some kind of answer at the other end.

Even when it looked as if Kansas was building some momentum, and Martin knocked down a long jumper to make it 37-33 in the final minute, Williams provided an answering 3-pointer to keep the Red Raiders within a point at the half.

It remained close throughout the second half.

When Kansas edged ahead by five, Shannon and the Red Raiders responded with seven straight points. When Texas Tech took a 54-51 lead with 11:20 to go, Wilson and Agbaji — the tournament's MVP — provided back-to-back buckets that began a 12-2 charge and gave the Jayhawks a 63-56 lead with less than 5 minutes to play.

They showcased the veteran poised needed to maintain it the rest of the way.

BIG PICTURE

Texas Tech was still within 64-60 with 3:06 to play, but Kansas scored the next six points as the Red Raiders continued to wilt under the pressure. It was a stunning departure from the norm for a team that starts a junior (Shannon) alongside five seniors and that has played in plenty of tight games this season.

Kansas overcame a poor performance from beyond the arc (3 for 22) by doing the little things: The Jayhawks took care of the ball, made the extra pass and got to the foul line. They were 25 of 32 on their free throws, including big ones from Agbaji — the league's player of the year — when the outcome was on the line.

UP NEXT

It's time for Selection Sunday. The Jayhawks have an eye on one of the four No. 1 seeds while the Red Raiders could land as high as the No. 2 line after their spirited run to the Big 12 Tournament title game.

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Saint Peter's: 2021-22 Metro Atlantic Men's Basketball Champions

ATLANTIC CITY — Shaheen Holloway's New Jersey basketball success story continued Saturday afternoon.

The Saint Peter's men's basketball coach watched as the third-seeded Peacocks earned their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2011 with a 60-54 win over fourth-seeded Monmouth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament title game at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.

Junior guard Doug Edert scored 10 of his game-high 20 points in the final six minutes to propel the Peacocks to the win. Umar Shannon, a Saint Peter's assistant coach, is an Atlantic City High School alumnus.

Holloway took over the Peacocks in 2018. He first rose to prominence as a standout guard at St. Patrick's of Elizabeth in the 1990s, where he was named a McDonald's All-American. Holloway excelled at Seton Hall, leading the Pirates to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in 2000. As an assistant at Iona and Seton Hall, Holloway proved to be a standout recruiter and top-notch talent developer.

Saint Peter's led the entire second half Saturday, although Monmouth did cut the lead to one point three times in the final six minutes.

During that stretch, Edert made a jumper in the lane, two foul shots and then made a 3-pointer from the left wing with 46 seconds left to put Saint Peter's up five and clinch the win.

KC Ndefo, a 6-foot-7 senior forward, set the defensive tone for Saint Peter's with four blocks and seven rebounds before fouling out with 3 minutes, 31 seconds left. Ndefo was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. The Peacocks also survived 6-7 junior forward Drame Fousseyni (10 rebounds) fouling out with 1 minute, 42 seconds left.

Graduate senior center Walker Miller led Monmouth with 15.

Saturday's game capped the five-day MAAC tournaments. The event is scheduled to return to Boardwalk Hall next year. This was the first year the MAAC tourneys — the women's title game was was held earlier in the day — had a chance to show what they could do in Atlantic City. The pandemic canceled the 2020 tournament shortly after it began. The 2021 tournament was held before few fans because of COVID-19.

"It went," MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor said of the tournament, "so it's a great step forward. It's nice to be in full operation mode again."

There was plenty of energy in Boardwalk Hall on Saturday. For the first time all week, the arena unveiled its famous pipe organ for the national anthem.

The crowd was decidedly pro-Monmouth. Fans of both schools stood for the opening tip. The Hawks fans chanted "Defense! Defense!" in the second half.

Ensor spoke positively about the logistics of Boardwalk Hall, the building's acoustics and Atlantic City's abundance of hotel rooms.

"There will be good word of mouth coming out of this week," Ensor said. "We'll continue to grow the event."

As for Saturday's title game, what made it so compelling is the MAAC is a one-bid league. Only Saturday's winner is headed to the NCAA Tournament.

Both Monmouth ( 21-13) and Saint Peter's (19-11) played with desperation. Who knows when either school will be this close to an NCAA Tournament bid again?

Monmouth is leaving the MAAC at the end of the school year for the Colonial Athletic Association, a higher-level league. Holloway's success at Saint Peter's could lead him to a job at a bigger school.

Points were tough to come by as both teams played physical, tenacious defense. Monmouth shot 12 of 51 from the floor. The Peacocks did only slightly better at 19 for 46.

Edert has a Jersey story of his own. The Nutley resident graduated from Bergen Catholic Hugh School. He was 5 of 10 from the floor and 8 off 9 from the foul line, and that was the difference.

Each team needed one player to get hot. Edert was that man.

Norfolk State: 2021-22 Mid-Eastern Men's Basketball Champions

NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State and senior guard Joe Bryant Jr. repeated as MEAC champion and Most Outstanding Player as the Spartans ended the upset bid of 7th-seed Coppin State, 72-57 in the championship game of the MEAC Basketball Tournament at Scope Arena.

The win will send the Spartans (24-6) back to the NCAA Tournament’s Big Dance in the automatic bid that goes to the MEAC’s tournament champion.

NORFOLK STATE LIVING AND DYING WITH JOE BRYANT JR.

Bryant, this year’s regular season player of the year, punctuated his game-high 23-point performance with a 3-pointer in the final half-minute. The 6-1 Norfolk native hit 7 of 14 shots from the field and 5 of 9 3-pointers to lead the Spartans.

His backcourt mate, redshirt junior Jalen Hawkins, finished with 17 points including two 3s. Redshirt junior Dana Tate Jr. added 13 points including a couple of 3-pointers.

The key however was NSU’s ability to prevent the long-shooting Eagles from ever finding a rhythm. Or perhaps it was weary legs and fatigue that did the Eagles in after playing the late-night game in Friday’s semifinals.

COPPIN STATE LIVES, DIES BY THE 3

Either way, Coppin State made just five baskets from behind the arc in 35 attempts, a woeful 7.1 percent. The Eagles canned 12 of 29 (41.4%) Friday. Jesse Zarzuela, who had a game-high 27 points and made 6 of 8 from long range Friday, shot 0-for-9 from distance and finished with 11 points. Nendah Tarke led the Eagles (9-23) with 16 points but made just 1 of 8 from behind the arc.

It was a different story early. CSU scored its first four baskets on 3-pointers and was tied 12-12 after the first 12 minutes. Norfolk State led 24-20 in a slow-moving first half.

NORFOLK STATE’S CRITICAL JUNCTURE

The game was halted with 17:26 left in the second half with Norfolk State up 32-22, its first double-digit lead of the game. Officials reviewed a tussle under the basket between Hawkins and CSU big man Justin Steers for five minutes.

Technical fouls were called on both players. Zarzuela missed both free throws for CSU and Bryant converted both for NSU. On the ensuing possession, Hawkins drained a three to put the Spartans up 37-22. The five-point swing swung the momentum heavily towards the Spartans.

The Eagles only cut the deficit below double-digits once from there, at 47-39 with 11:41 left.

Norfolk State, with a sterling 24-6 mark, will be looking for a seeding much better than the play-in position that followed last season’s 16-8 record.

NSU head coach Robert Jones was named the tournament’s top coach.

Vermont: 2021-22 America East Men's Basketball Champions

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Ryan Davis scored 20 points, Ben Shungu added 19 and Vermont completed a dominant America East season with its fourth conference tournament title in six years via an 82-43 win over UMBC on Saturday.

Davis, back-to-back American East player of the year, was 9-of-13 shooting and Shungu was 9 of 17 with the top-seeded Catamounts at 59%. Finn Sullivan, a University of San Diego transfer, added three 3-pointers and 14 points for the Catamounts (28-5), who crushed their tournament competition, winning by 29, 32 and 39 points.

“We can compete with any team in college basketball. I like any matchup we can get,” said Shungu, a South Burlington native who competed in his eighth championship in Patrick Gym, counting high school state tournaments and college.

Darnell Rogers had 10 points, the only player scoring in double figures for the second-seeded Retrievers (18-14), who shot just 28%.

Sullivan and Davis hit 3-pointers to cap a 12-4 run early in the second half to extend a 17-point halftime lead to 49-26. When Robin Duncan made a layup with eight minutes to go the lead passed 30 points on its way to a high of 42.

Both teams averaged 75 points a game this season but Vermont left UMBC behind early, finishing the half on a 13-4 run to lead 37-20.

UMBC’s Keondre Kennedy hit a 3-pointer to open the game but Justin Mazzulla responded with a bucket, Sullivan made a 3-pointer and Davis added a basket for a 7-0 run and the Catamounts led the rest of the way.

Vermont outscored UMBC 56-16 in the paint.

The Catamounts were in their fifth final in the last seven years, and lead the America East with nine tournament titles. This year's edition became the second Vermont team to reach 28 wins.

This was third time in five years these two programs played for the title, the Retrievers winning in 2018 and the Catamounts in 2019.

Vermont bested UMBC by a combined 44 points in two regular-season meetings on its way to taking the regular-season championship by six games over the second-place Retrievers. The Catamounts have won or shared the past six regular-season titles.

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