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ALBANY,
N.Y.
- The top-two seeds in the 2013 America East Women's Basketball Championship
presented by SEFCU will meet in the title game on Saturday night, as No. 2 seed
Hartford travels to face No. 1 Albany for the conference title at 7 p.m.
Eric Frede and Leah Secondo will have the call beginning
at 7 p.m. on ESPN3 and Fox College Sports. The game also will be available on
computers, smartphones and tablets via WatchESPN.com.
Albany
(26-3, 16-0) will be making its second-straight appearance in the America East
title game on Saturday night, hosting the championship game for the
second-straight year as well. Albany won its first title in program history
last year, defeating No. 5 seed UMBC, 69-61, to earn the team's first NCAA
tournament bid. All-time, Albany is 8-8 in league tournament action and 1-0 in
title games.
Hartford
(21-10, 10-6) has its seventh 20-win season in program history and reached the
finals for the eighth time. All eight title appearances have come since 2002
under head coach Jennifer Rizzoitt, the winningest coach in tournament history.
The Hawks are 23-8 in the tournament since 2002 and 25-18 overall. It is the
third title appearance in the last four years. Hartford has won five titles,
the third-most all-time for any America East program, with the last coming in
2011.
Albany
swept Hartford during the two games in the regular-season, but the Hawks did
take the Great Danes to an extra session at SEFCU Arena in the first meeting.
Albany held Hartford without a field goal during the overtime to take a 55-48
victory and then won, 69-55, at Hartford.
Albany
became the seventh team in America East Conference history to complete the
conference regular-season unscathed. However, that does not alway bode well for
the tournament. The last three unbeaten teams have gone on to lose in the
America East Championship.
All-Time Unbeaten Teams (tournament finish)
Hartford,
2009-10 (lost in finals)
Boston
U., 2009-09 (lost in finals)
Maine,
2002-03 (lost in finals)
Maine,
1995-96 (won title)
Vermont,1992-93
(won title)
Vermont,
1991-92 (won title)
Hartford
finished third in the America East regular-season standings, marking the
10th-straight year the Hawks have finished fourth or higher. Hartford has won
four regular-season titles, produced two players of the year and a rookie of
the year. This is their eight conference title tilt since 2002. The Hawks have
been one of the most consistent America East teams, making eight-straight
postseason appearances.
For
all the latest information, including links to box scores, recaps, highlights
and photo galleries, visit Championship
Central on AmericaEast.com. Join in the conversation on social media by
using the hashtag #Chance2Dance on Twitter.