Four quarterfinals games kick off the 2022 #AEPlayoffs on Saturday. Maine, UAlbany, Vermont and NJIT earned the right to host games in the high seed format which rewards teams for regular-season performances.
The top seed has advanced to the championship game in each of the prior three years under the current format and we have yet to see an upset in the early rounds. Here is a look inside Saturday’s matchups:
#8 Hartford (4-25, 4-14) at #1 Maine (18-10, 15-3)
- Split all-time postseason series with Maine winning two most recent of eight total meetings.
- Maine is 28-6 all-time as a No. 1 seed and is 9-3 against No. 8 seeds.
- The Black Bears’ 12-game win streak is the seventh-longest active streak in DI.
- Of their record 18 regular-season titles, eight have followed with league championships.
- Maine swept the season series and has won the last eight meetings.
- The two combine for the most championships of any possible matchup (15).
#7 New Hampshire (7-20, 4-12) at #2 UAlbany (20-9, 13-5)
- UAlbany has won three of the four postseason meetings.
- The Great Danes are 10-1 all-time as a No. 2 seed and have never lost to a No. 7 seed.
- They received their highest seed since receiving a No. 2 seed in 2018 – the last time the team won 20 games.
- The Great Danes have allowed the second-fewest points per game to opponents in the country.
- UNH seeking first semifinals appearance since 2018.
- UAlbany swept the season series and has won the previous five meetings.
#6 Binghamton (9-19, 5-13) at #3 Vermont (19-10, 13-5)
- Vermont leads the all-time postseason series 2-0 and have not met since the 2005 quarterfinals.
- The Catamounts are 6-0 against No. 6 seeds in playoff history.
- The Catamounts won their most league games since 2009-10, when the team went on to upset Wisconsin as a No. 10 team in the NCAA Tournament.
- Binghamton enters as winners of four of the last five games.
- UVM swept the season series to tie the all-time series at 11-11.
- The Catamounts' six championships are tied with Hartford for second-most all time.
#5 UMass Lowell (11-15, 8-9) at #4 NJIT (14-14, 9-8)
- NJIT is hosting its first-ever #AEPlayoffs game.
- UMass Lowell beat the Highlanders in last year’s quarterfinals – NJIT’s first season in the league.
- The River Hawks have appeared in the semifinals in each of the previous two years.
- Neither team has appeared in the championship game.
- The Highlanders swept the season series but the River Hawks lead the all-time series 4-3.
Tickets can be obtained by contacting each host's ticket office or visiting #AEPlayoffs Central.
The four quarterfinal winners will square off in the semifinals on Tuesday, March 8 at the two highest remaining seeds. The bracket will be re-seeded with the highest-remaining seed hosting the lowest-remaining seed and the second-highest remaining seed hosting the second-lowest remaining seed.
The two semifinal winners will play for the America East title and an automatic NCAA bid on Friday, March 11 at 5 p.m. at the highest remaining seed’s home court.
All 2022 #AEPlayoffs action can be watched on ESPN networks. The quarter and semifinals will air on ESPN+ as part of The AE on ESPN with a simulcast for international viewers on AmericaEast.TV. The championship game will be nationally televised on ESPNU. All three rounds will also be available via the ESPN app.
Complete postseason information can be found at americaeast.com/wbbplayoffs.
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