Vermont Continues Its AEC Mastery Topping UMass Lowell 66-61 To Secure NCAA Tournament Bid – News18

BURLINGTON, Vt.: Shamir Bogues scored 15 factors and TJ Long scored 14 factors and prime-seeded Vermont beat No. 2 seed UMass Lowell 66-61 on Saturday to clinch its third straight America East title and safe a visit to the NCAA Tournament.

Vermont (28-6) now has received six of the final eight AEC championships within the one-bid league. The Catamounts now have received 9 consecutive AEC postseason match contests.

The day began with 15 No. 1 convention match seeds struggling defeats of their convention tourneys.

The Riverhawks (22-10) had been looking for their first-ever NCAA Tournament bid in 11 seasons on the Division I stage.

Aaron Deloney scored 12 factors and Nick Fiorillo 11 for Vermont.

Cam Morris III scored 13 of his 17 factors earlier than intermission and grabbed 10 rebounds, Brayden O’Conner scored 14 and Ayinde Hikim 11 for the Riverhawks.

Trailing 62-57 with a minute left, UMass Lowell killed its probabilities by capturing 2 for 8 from the free-throw line.

Bogues and Long every survived foul bother as Long picked up his fourth foul with 10:19 left and Bogues with 4:41 to go. Bogues made a pair of foul pictures with 11:25 left to place Vermont forward 44-43 and the Catamounts led the rest.

Long and Fiorillo made 3-pointers in successive possessions for Vermont round a 3-level play by UMass Lowell’s O’Connor for a 50-46 lead with 9:53 remaining.

After a 3-for-15 capturing efficiency from 3-level vary earlier than the break, Vermont made 5 of 10 within the second and completed 8 for 25 (32%) general.

The Catamounts constructed a 16-7 lead inside the first 5 minutes earlier than the Riverhawks methodically started to take management of the sport’s momentum enjoying by Morris on the offensive finish.

Morris made a pair of foul pictures that decreased the Riverhawks’ deficit to 19-18 with 9:57 left earlier than halftime. Neither crew scored for two 1/2 minutes till Morris made a layup to present UMass Lowell it’s first lead since 2-0.

Morris made 4 for five earlier than the break and the Riverhawks led 32-29 at halftime.

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(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)