With just a week and a half left in the regular season, seeding for the 2012 America East Men's Basketball Championship is beginning to take shape. Last night, three teams won important games on the road, while one held serve at home.
Vermont won at Albany, 50-47, to move into a first-place tie with Stony Brook atop the league standings at 12-2, while UNH beat Boston University, 56-54, in Boston for the first time since 1994. Hartford upended Maine, 64-50, at home, while UMBC beat Binghamton in Vestal, 70-56.
The Catamounts (18-10, 12-2 AE) held America East's top scoring team, Albany (16-13, 8-7 AE), to just 47 points en route to their ninth straight win and 12th in their last 13 games. Brendan Bald had a team-high 10 points for the Cats, while Mike Black had 16 for the Great Danes.
With wins in their final two conference games (at Binghamton, vs. UMBC) UVM would lock up the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament for the fifth time since 2002. The Great Danes, who played without their top scorer, Gerardo Suero (shingles), will lock up the No. 4 seed with a win in its final league game or losses by both Hartford and UNH and either of its final two games.
UNH (11-14, 6-8 AE) held Boston U. (14-14, 10-4 AE) to just 2-of-22 from three-point land and won its third straight game and fourth in its last five. Ferg Myrick led the Wildcats with 15 points, while Darryl Partin had 20 for the Terriers.
New Hampshire could still finish as high as fourth as low as seventh in the standings. Its final two games are at Maine and home against Binghamton. With their loss last night, the Terriers are locked into the No. 3 seed.
Hartford (7-19, 7-7 AE) dished out 19 assists on 25 baskets and committed only nine turnovers in its win over Maine (11-14, 5-9 AE). The Hawks, who have won three in row, also held Maine to just 37 percent shooting, including 25 percent in the first half. Nate Sikma poured in 20 points while Xavier Pollard paced the Black Bears with 10 off the bench.
The Hawks can still finish anywhere from fourth to sixth in the standings and have Stony Brook at home and Boston U. on the road remaining. The Black Bears can finish either sixth or seventh and close vs. UNH and at Stony Brook.
UMBC (4-23, 3-11 AE) snapped its seven-game losing skid by holding Binghamton (0-25, 0-13 AE) to just 34 percent shooting. Chase Plummer paced the Retrievers with 15 points off the bench. Jimmy Gray had 13 for Binghamton.
The Retrievers and Bearcats will meet again the first round of the America East Championship on March 1. UMBC will be seeded No. 8 and Binghamton No. 9.
Recent Results
Wednesday, February 15
at Hartford 64, Maine 50 -- Box Score
UMBC 70, at Bingahamton 56 -- Box Score
New Hampshire 56, at Boston U. 54 -- Box Score
Vermont 50, at Albany 47 -- Box Score