CAMBRRIDGE, Mass. -- Nearly 20,000 fans came out in Albany and Binghamton to watch the 2009 Men's Basketball Championship, the most spectators to attend the tournament seven years with the current membership. A total of 19,558 fans caught the Championship, with 14,210 attending over three days in Albany and 5,348 for the championship game in Binghamton a week later.
For the first three rounds in Albany, an average of 3,554 attended each session, including a sellout crowd of 4,538 for the afternoon session on Saturday, March 7. They saw the host Great Danes upset Vermont and UMBC knock off Boston Unversity on the way to a second staight title game appearance.
The largest crowd in the five-year old Events center turned out to watch Binghamton win its first-ever league crown with a 61-51 victory over UMBC Saturday. It was also the best attendance at an America East Championship game in 23 years. The crowd of 5,342 in the arena Saturday is second in league history all-time only to the 5,644 who turned out to see Reggie Lewis lead Northeastern past Boston University's at Matthews Arena for his third of four straight titles.