UMBC: 2026 America East Men's Basketball Champions

BALTIMORE -- DJ Armstrong Jr. buried seven 3-pointers and scored a career-high 33 points, leading top-seeded UMBC to a 74-59 victory over No. 2-seed Vermont in the championship game of the America East Playoffs on Saturday.

Bryant: 2024-25 America East Men's Basketball Champions

 

Bryant men’s basketball is headed to its second NCAA Tournament in school history after beating Maine, 77-59, in the America East Tournament championship game Saturday.

Maine was making a run for its first tournament appearance in history before being denied by the Bulldogs (23-11, 14-2), who amassed an 11-point halftime lead and held on for a double-digit win on their home court in Smithfield, R.I.

The Bulldogs’ only other NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2022, Bryant’s final season as a member of the Northeast Conference, when they beat Wagner in the conference tournament championship to punch their ticket.

Coach Phil Martelli Jr., named the America East coach of the year this season, was the Bulldogs’ associate head coach that year before being promoted to his current position in 2023.

Bryant now awaits its first-round opponent in the NCAA Tournament. The 68-team field will be announced during the selection show on CBS starting at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Sophomore Barry Evans, named the America East newcomer of the year after transferring from St. Bonaventure, led the Bulldogs with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Conference player of the year Earl Timberlake scored 17 for Bryant, while Maine’s A.J. Lopez led the all scorers with 20 points.

Bryant entered halftime with its largest lead of the first half, heading into the locker room up 38-27. The Bulldogs extended the margin in the second half, leading by as many as 21.

Maine made a late push, cutting Bryant’s lead down to 13 with under six minutes remaining, but Bryant stayed hot to close out the blowout win.

The top-seeded Bulldogs beat UMBC, 85-74, in the first round before taking down Albany, 91-78, to earn a spot in the conference tournament final.

Vermont: 2023-24 America East Men's Basketball Champions

 

The University of Vermont men's basketball team found out in the third game the resolve it possessed — however incalculable it might be to truly measure such a trait.

The Catamounts' roaring comeback vs. Charleston on Nov. 16 at the Myrtle Beach Invitational was the first of five victories this season after trailing by 10 or more points.

"We just knew the kind of guys we had in the locker room, it didn’t matter how far down we were," Vermont junior forward Ileri Ayo-Faleye said. "We had the type of dudes who were going to fight back and never give up."

No deficit too big to overcome. No foe too imposing to handle. Nothing, it seemed, could rattle this year's Catamounts.

And for the third straight March, Vermont's opponent in the America East championship game couldn't break that will. The Catamounts host this day, and own it, annually.

Behind Ayo-Faleye and Shamir Bogues' 94 feet of influence, the top-seeded Catamounts outlasted No. 2 UMass Lowell despite a halftime deficit for a 66-61 victory in the league's title game at sold-out Patrick Gym on Saturday, sealing a championship three-peat and booking yet another berth to the NCAA Tournament.

On a 10-game winning streak, the Catamounts (28-6) join the 2004-05 Vermont squad with three consecutive league tournament titles. The Catamounts, with 11 conference titles to extend their league record, have won five of the last six America East championships.

They'll learn their seed, site and opponent during Selection Sunday on CBS (6 p.m. eastern).

"This group is just so resilient and so tough and these two guys up here epitomize that as much as anybody in our program," 13-year UVM coach John Becker said of Ayo-Faleye and Bogues. "Really, they were the pillars of our program this year. The relentlessness, the athleticism, the instincts with which they play with is breathtaking. They brought so much joy to Catamount Country."

Bogues, a junior transfer guard from Tarleton State, was named the tournament's most outstanding player after collecting 15 points, nine rebounds, three assists, four steals and no turnovers in 32 minutes in Saturday's final. Ayo-Faleye, a second-year transfer from Rhode Island, posted nine points, five boards, four assists, two steals, a trio of blocks and no turnovers in 36 minutes.

"We were down at half and still found a way to win," said Ayo-Faleye, who earned a spot on the all-championship team. "We stayed the course, listened to the coaches, listened to the messaging and just applied it. This time of year it’s all about execution."

Said Bogues: "Our message coming in was to stay together. And that’s what we did today."

TJ Long, also on the all-championship squad, sank four 3-pointers and totaled 14 points and three assists. Fifth-year senior Aaron Deloney added a dozen points thanks to a 7-for-8 effort at the foul line and one game-sealing layup, and Nick Fiorillo added 11 points for the Catamounts.

Cam Morris (17 points, 10 rebounds), Brayden O'Connor (14 points) and Ayinde Hikim (11 points) each reached double figures for Lowell.

Saturday's championship encapsulated much of Vermont's gutsy season. The Catamounts struggled to score around the paint, had stretches of shooting dry spells from their outside threats, and had to work from behind. But like they've done all winter, the Catamounts drummed up answers with elite-level defense and a plenty of timely and much-needed Long 3-pointers.

"Knowing that there is going to be adversity throughout the game, just weathering the storm and being able to come out with the win is the most important thing," Ayo-Faleye said. "Never getting too high or too low, just staying even and knowing that we are going to pull it out."

Vermont's early, 19-11 advantage was wiped out by inefficiency on offense — seven straight missed field goals — and the River Hawks (22-10) not only climbed back into contention but took a 32-29 margin into halftime. A year ago, Lowell also had a slight edge at the break before Vermont pulled away.

"UMass Lowell — give them the credit they deserve. They’ve been a team that’s been nipping at our heels for the last bunch of years," Becker said. "They are tough, they are experienced. They battled and we knew it was going to be a tough game. I have a lot of respect for (coach Pat Duquette) and his program."

In a game that featured 11 lead changes and five ties, Vermont created breathing room with a 13-4 spurt highlighted by a pair of Fiorillo triples and an Ayo-Faleye hook shot for a 60-50 lead with 4:01 left in regulation.

To start the separating run, Fiorillo poured in a 3-pointer following Ayo-Faleye's drive into the paint and kick to the wing. Ayo-Faleye also got a crafty and nimble reserve layup to drop through and Bogues steered in a baseline runner on back-to-back possessions.

Ayo-Faleye's hook shot, though, was the type of offense Vermont had been lacking throughout the year without a true post-up presence. The Catamounts won without that position last year with Robin Duncan and Dylan Penn, and have pulled off a similar scheme with Bogues' skillset.

"I thought he made the biggest play of the game," Becker said of Ayo-Faleye's hook.

The Riverhawks made one last push, uncorking a quick 5-0 spurt to trail 60-55 with 3:29 to go. After Fiorillo's two foul shots and Connor's basket made it a five-point game again, Morris missed both of his free-throw attempts and Deloney, the team leader, soared for the final dagger to secure the Catamounts' three-peat.

Instead of letting the clock tick down, Deloney saw an opening to the basket, and the speedy guard bolted to the hoop for a finish off the glass and 64-57 lead with 43 seconds left.

Counting the championship awarded following the cancellation of the 2020 final due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Deloney is now a four-time America East tournament champion, joining former teammates Ben Shungu and Robin Duncan.

"You just get to see kids grow up. AD is a man now. He was a little kid when he got here," Becker said.

Vermont also pulled off three in a row with three remarkably different squads. The Catamounts reloaded this winter after the graduation of four starters, just like they had to do following the 2021-22 campaign. Their program mission remains in sight: Advance to the second weekend at the NCAA Tournament.

"These guys want to go to the tournament and we want to win. We are trying to get this program to Sweet 16s," Becker said. "We are a national brand, we are nationally relevant. I’m not going to let anyone in this program be comfortable with what we did or done. We want to do the next thing until I run out of goals and then I’ll retire if there’s nothing left to shoot for.

"I’m going to continue to try and dream big here."

Vermont: 2022-23 America East Men's Basketball Champions

A second-half comeback led top-seeded Vermont (23-10, 14-2 AE) to its league-best 10th America East title, defeating No. 2 UMass Lowell (26-8, 11-5 AE) 72-59 in the 2023 Jersey Mike's America East Championship Game on Saturday at Patrick Gym.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Catamounts and River Hawks combined for only one miss from the floor in the first 2:36 of the game, with UML taking a 7-6 lead. Abdoul Karim Coulibaly scored all of UMass Lowell's points in the opening minutes. Dylan Penn had four points for Vermont.

Penn put Vermont in front when his layup was goaltended by UML's Max Brooks, giving the Cats an 8-7 lead. Finn Sullivan cashed in his first three-pointer of the game on the following possession to extend the lead to 11-7 with 14:38 left in the first half.

The Catamounts held the River Hawks scoreless for 4:30 after an Allin Blunt layup with 13:43 remaining. Vermont's lead would grow to 16-9 during that stretch, until a layup by Cam Morris III with 9:12 left in the half.

Morris' basket sparked a 20-5 run for UMass Lowell as the River Hawks made eight of their next 11 field goals to take a 29-21 lead with 1:21 remaining in the opening frame. The sophomore had six points to lead the UML run.

Finn Sullivan knocked down a free throw in the final minute, and Aaron Deloney sank a deep three-pointer on Vermont's final possession to cut the deficit to 29-25 before the break.

Penn scored the first four points of the second half to tie the game at 29-29 with 18:27 left on the clock. The fifth-year senior posted up a UMass Lowell defender and cashed in the hook shot. Penn knocked down a pair of free throws shortly after to draw even with the River Hawks.

Finn Sullivan briefly put Vermont ahead with a free throw that made the score 30-29, but Allin Blunt knocked down a trio of free throws on the following possession to give UMass Lowell a 32-30 lead with 17:42 left.

Matt Veretto's first three-pointer of the day was timely, sinking a corner three on a skip pass from Robin Duncan to put the Catamounts back in front, up 33-32. Deloney made an acrobatic jumper minutes later to give Vermont a 35-32 lead with 15:13 remaining.

A layup from Morris and a three-pointer from Everette Hammond put UMass Lowell ahead 37-35 with 13:09 left on the clock.

Deloney countered with a triple from the wing at the end of the shot clock to put Vermont back in front, up 38-37 with 12:16 remaining. The senior's three-pointer sparked a 9-2 run for the Catamounts that included a trey from Penn and trio of free throws from Gibson.

Veretto scored nine points in a span of 1:52 to extend the UVM lead to 53-46 with 7:53 to play. The graduate student sank a trio of free throws to begin his run, followed up by back-to-back three-pointers. Veretto also forced a turnover on the defensive end during that stretch.

Penn gave the Catamounts their first double-digit lead of the afternoon, when he sank a hook shot coming out of the post to go up 57-46 with 6:13 left.

Sullivan sank the dagger with 2:10 remaining when he drilled a three-pointer from the right wing while drawing a foul. The 2023 America East Player of the Year knocked down his free throw to put Vermont up 63-50.

The Catamounts maintained their double-digit cushion over the River Hawks for the remainder of the game. ­­

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

The Catamounts secure their 10th America East title in the last 20 seasons, and their sixth in 12 seasons under Becker.

Vermont's come-from-behind victory marked the first time that the Catamounts have won a game while trailing at the half this season. UVM entered the game 0-8 when behind at the break.

Penn was named the Reggie Lewis Most Outstanding Player, pouring a game-high 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting. The guard averaged 23.3 points and a 67.4% field goal percentage in Vermont's three playoff victories.

Veretto and Deloney were named to the America East All-Championship Team. Veretto tallied 15 points on 4-for-9 shooting, which included a 3-for-6 clip from long range. Deloney had 10 points on 4-for-9 shooting, with a pair of triples.

Sullivan also reached double figures, scoring 15 points. The fifth-year senior had a team-high seven rebounds, and recorded four steals.

Nick Fiorillo received the America East Elite 18 Award for demonstrating excellence on the court and the classroom.

With the win, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to King Street Center as part of the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative. Since its inauguration in 2017, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group has donated over $80,000 to local non-profits through the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative.  

UP NEXT

The Catamounts have punched their ticket to the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Vermont will learn its opponent and location on Selection Sunday, which will air live on CBS at 6 p.m. ET.

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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Hartford: 2021 America East Men's Basketball Champions

WEST HARTFORD, CT — For the first time in program history, the University of Hartford men's basketball team is headed to the NCAA tournament after topping UMass Lowell 64-50 in the America East Conference championship game Saturday inside Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion.

The Hawks now await the NCAA Selection Show, which airs Sunday at 6 p.m. on CBS, to find out their first-round opponent.

"If you know anything about me, we're not going to [Indianapolis] to say hello; we're going there to win," head coach John Gallagher said.

Senior Austin Williams was named the America East Championship's Most Outstanding Player. In the title game, he tallied 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds. He was joined on the All-Championship team by grad student Traci Carter, who poured in a game-high 19 points, and junior Hunter Marks, who scored 14 points. Marks also received the Elite 18 award for having the highest GPA of all participants in the league's title game.

"I love Traci Carter, the way he managed the game, and Austin Williams really had a huge second half," Gallagher said. "As we move forward here, we've got to get other guys playing well."

Hartford's tenacious defense limited the River Hawks to 29.5 percent shooting from the floor.

The victory clinched the first conference championship for the Hawks since moving to Division I 37 years ago.

"For our program, what do you say?" Gallagher said. "Four best years in school history. They were firing me four years ago, and rightfully so; wasn't getting it done. We just buckled down."

Vermont: 2018-19 America East Men's Basketball Champions

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Vermont learned from its loss last year on its home floor to Maryland-Baltimore County in the America East Tournament title game -- a result that paved the way for an even bigger win by UMBC.

Anthony Lamb scored 28 points, and Vermont beat UMBC 66-49 on Saturday to win the America East championship and earn an NCAA Tournament bid.

It was the seventh conference title overall and second in three years for the Catamounts (27-6), who got their revenge on the anniversary of 16th-seeded UMBC's shocking upset of top-seeded Virginia in last year's NCAA Tournament.

"I'm impressed how well we grew over the season and today was a full team effort," Vermont coach John Becker said. "These games are surreal because of the crowd and noise. We were tougher this year because of that game. We had a lot of young guys, so credit our new leadership."

Lamb, the America East player of the year, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. He went 8 for 16 from the field and had nine rebounds, and he led a strong defensive effort from the Catamounts, who held the Retrievers to 34-percent shooting.

Stef Smith added 17 points for Vermont and Ben Shungu scored nine, all in the second half. K.J. Jackson led UMBC (21-13) with 15 points, and Arkel Lamar had eight points and 11 rebounds.

Lamb hit back-to-back 3-pointers early in the second half to start an 11-0 run that put Vermont ahead 39-22.

"The championship game a lot of times comes down to the best player playing like that," Becker said. "I never wanted to put any extra pressure on Anthony, but the reality today is that our best player was a big reason we won."

Both teams got off to slow starts. UMBC missed its first six field-goal attempts and hit only five of its first 16, while Vermont was 7 for 21, missing its first six 3-point attempts. Lamb scored 12 of Vermont's first 18 points and had 19 by halftime, when the Catamounts led 28-20.

"This year the script was flipped after a year ago," UMBC coach Ryan Odom said. "Hats off to Vermont today. Our offense today left a lot to be desired -- give them credit for a lot of that. Lamb had a dynamite game. He's tremendous."

BIG PICTURE

UMBC: The Retrievers handed Vermont its only two regular-season losses in America East play, including a 74-63 win in Burlington on Jan. 23. Lamb didn't play in that game.

Vermont: Recent struggles against UMBC aside, the Catamounts are comfortable atop the America East. They were the top seed in the conference tournament and reached their fourth straight title game and 13th overall. Vermont has seven titles, all since 2003.

STAT PACK

The Catamounts were 1 for 7 from 3-point range in the first half but heated up after halftime, making four of their first six from beyond the arc. ... Vermont shot 41 percent from the floor and outrebounded UMBC 38-27.

UP NEXT

UMBC awaits a possible bid in the NIT or another postseason tournament.

Vermont will learn its NCAA Tournament seeding and destination on Sunday evening.

UMBC: 2017-18 America East Men's Basketball Champions

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Jairus Lyles was determined to come up with a different ending for UMBC.

Lyles improvised in the final moments and hit a long 3-pointer with less than a second left, lifting Maryland Baltimore County over top-seeded Vermont 65-62 Saturday in the America East championship game.

"I waved off the last play from the bench, tried to get me some space and take the shot to end the game," Lyles said.

Second-seeded UMBC (24-10) had lost 23 straight times to the Catamounts over the last 10 years, including twice this season by a combined 45 points. But with Lyles scoring 27 points, the Retrievers rallied to earn their first NCAA Tournament trip since 2008.

Vermont (27-7) led 57-48, but didn't make a basket in the final 8:21.

"Obviously, it did not finish the way we want," Vermont coach John Becker said.

Lyles went 5-for-7 from 3-point range. He tied it with a deep 3 with 1:01 to go, setting up his final shot.

"This is a dream come true. I grew up watching Adam Morrison of Gonzaga and Steph Curry play for Davidson in the tournament, and now to get to play for it is awesome," said K.J. Maura, who added eight points for UMBC.

Tre Bell-Haynes scored 18 for the Catamounts, which went 17-1 against America East opponents this season.

"Vermont is the gold standard in the America East. They have the tradition that we want to create at UMBC," coach Ryan Odom said.

Lyles scored 15 points in the first half and closed the period with a late 3 for a 37-35 edge. Vermont responded on the defensive end to start the second half, holding the Retrievers to just two baskets on their first 15 tries over the first 12 minutes.

Three free throws by Everett Duncan and a three-point play by Bell-Haynes capped a 12-3 run that put Vermont ahead 47-39. The Catamounts led by nine several times in the second half.

Peyton Henson scored 14 points, Ernie Duncan added 10 and Drew Urquhart had seven and 10 rebounds for Vermont.

BIG PICTURE

Vermont: Outrebounded UMBC 32-26, but committed 13 turnovers leading to 23 points for the Retrievers.

UP NEXT

UMBC: Will find out Sunday where it will play in the NCAA Tournament. In the Retrievers' only other appearance, they lost to Georgetown 66-47 in 2008.

Vermont: Missed a chance to clinch its second straight trip to the NCAA tourney. The Catamounts lost to Purdue 80-70 last year.