Two teams will punch tickets to the 2015 America East Championship games Sunday as the #AEPlayoffs semifinals take place. The best four teams in the regular season will decide who plays for the league crown for the second-straight year, but just the second time since 1999.
Second-seeded Vermont will host third-seeded Stony Brook in one semifinal at 1 p.m. while top-seeded Albany hosts fourth-seeded New Hampshire in the other semi at 2 p.m. Both games will air on ESPN3 and WatchESPN. Chris Villani (play by play) and Steve Donahue (analyst) have the call in Burlington while John Brickley (play-by-play) and Frank Sullivan (analyst) have the call in Albany.
Visit Playoff Central for all live coverage links, including live stats and live video. Ticket information for each site can also be found there. Capacity crowds are expected at both venues after over 10,000 fans attended the four semifinals on Wednesday.
The two winners will advance to the title game next Saturday, March 14 at 11 a.m. The game will be played at the highest remaining seed and be televised nationally on ESPN2.
Men's Basketball Semifinals
#3 Stony Brook at #2 Vermont, 1 p.m.
- Vermont held UMBC to the fourth-fewest points in tournament history in a 66-39 win over the Retrievers in Wednesday's quarterfinals.
- Stony Brook used a 14-0 second-half run to beat Binghamton in their quarterfinal matchup Wednesday.
- Vermont holds a 23-8 all-time edge over Stony Brook and has won six of the last eight meetings, including both get togethers this season.
- In the first meeting on Jan. 10 at Patrick Gym, Vermont shot 53 percent from the field in a 71-57 win.
- In the second meeting on Feb. 7, Vermont overcame a 17-point second-half deficit closing the game on a 36-10 run over the final 13:01 to post a 57-48 victory.
- Ethan O'Day averaged 16.5 points and nine rebounds in two games for Vermont while Jameel Warney averaged 20 points and 12.5 boards for Stony Brook vs. Vermont.
- The Catamounts are 13-1 against the Seawolves at home with Stony Brook's lone win coming in 2010.
- The two teams have met three times in tournament play with Vermont winning two of three games, including the 2012 title game.
- Vermont is appearing in the semifinals for the 13th time in the last 14 years.
- Stony Brook, winner of seven in a row, is in the semis for the sixth-straight year after making just one appearance in its first eight tournament showings.
#4 New Hampshire at #1 Albany - 2 p.m.
- Albany opened its quarterfinal on a 9-0 run against Maine and shot 50 percent from the floor en route to a, 83-66 win Wednesday.
- Matt Miller scored nine of UNH's 13 overtime points as the Wildcats beat Hartford, 67-63, in overtime Wednesday.
- The two regular-season meetings between Albany and UNH were decided by a total of three points with Albany taking both contests.
- The Great Danes outlasted the Wildcats, 64-62, in overtime on Jan. 6. Sam Rowley hit a hook shot in the lane at the buzzer.
- In the second meeting, Rowley scored 17 points and added eight rebounds as Albany held off a late UNH charge for a 63-62 win on Feb. 4.
- Evan Singletary averaged a team best 14.5 points in the two meetings while Jacoby Armstrong paced UNH averaging 13.0 ppg, including 18 on in the second meeting.
- Albany owns a 19-13 edge in the all-time series and has won three straight.
- The Great Danes hold a 3-1 edge in tournament play and have the last three meetings by an average of 16 points.
- Albany is making its fourth-straight semifinals appearance and has won seven tournament games in a row, the fifth-longest streak in league history.
- New Hampshire matched its program record for wins (19) with its win Wednesday and in the semis for the first time since 2009.