Two teams will punch their tickets to the 2021 Hercules Tires America East Men's Basketball Championship Game on Saturday as a pair of marquee matchups take place.
It all starts with No. 6 UMass Lowell visiting No. 1 UMBC for a 2 p.m. contest folowed by No 2. Vermont hosting Hartford at 4 p.m. Both games will air on ESPN+.
The winners will meet next Saturday, March 13 at 11 a.m. for the league title with the league champion receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
For full playoff coverage, including watch and live stats links plus coverage from last weekend's pod games, visit Hercules Tires #AEPlayoffs Central.
#AEPlayoffs Semifinal Preview
#6 UMass Lowell at #1 UMBC
- The matchup between the #1 and #6 seeds is the first ever in the semifinals and just the third all-time. Two seeds are 2-0 vs. six seeds in tournament history.
- #6 UMass Lowell (10-11) beat #7 Stony Brook and #3 New Hampshire last weekend to advance to the semifinals for the first time in program history. A win would result in its first-ever championship game appearance.
- #1 UMBC (14-5) received a bye to the semifinals after earning the top seed for the just the second time in program history (2008). A win would result in its fifth championship game appearance all-time and third in the last five years.
- In their only previous tournament meeting, UMBC knocked off UMass Lowell, 89-77 in the 2018 quarterfinals en route to winning the league title.
- Three first-team All-Conference performers will appear in the game, including UMBC's R.J. Eytle Rock and Brandon Horvath and UMass Lowell's Obadiah Noel, the league's leading scorer at 21.8 ppg.
at #4 Hartford at #2 Vermont
- After being slated to meet in last year's league title game that was canceled, Hartford and Vermont meet in the semifinals, their first tournament meeting since 2012.
- Vermont outlasted Hartford, 77-73, in a double OT thriller in 2012 semifinals en route to winning the league title.
- This is their seventh tournament meeting with the Catamounts holding a 4-2 advantage.
- Hartford (13-8) beat #9 Binghamton and #5 UAlbany last weekend to advance to the semifinals for the fourth-straigh year, a first in program history. The Hawks are trying to get to the title game for just the second time and first time since 2008.
- Vermont (10-4) earned the #2 seed and bye to the semis after sharing the regular-season crown with UMBC, its fifth in a row.
- The Catamounts are in the semis for the 19th time in the last 20 years and are seeking their 13th title game appearance and sixth straight.
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