BOSTON – Four teams posted wins last week as eight of nine America East men’s basketball programs rounded out non-conference play. The 144-game conference slate kicks off Saturday, Jan. 4 four a quartet of intriguing matchups.
Need to Know
- Marcus Banks Jr. matched his career high with 28 points to lead UMBC to a 96-93 win in double overtime vs. American on Monday. Ace Valentine’s layup with 24 seconds left was the difference maker.
- UAlbany downed SUNY rival Stony Brook, 77-70, on Sunday. The Great Danes got 40 points from their bench unit led by Justin Neely’s 16.
- UMass Lowell beat Emerson, 103-39, on Monday to extend its win streak to six games.
- The River Hawks (11-4) have their second-most non-conference wins in their Division I program history.
- In addition to UMass Lowell, four other programs concluded non-league play over .500 with UAlbany, Binghamton, Maine and UMBC all finishing 8-7.
- The Black Bears’ Kellen Tynes ranks fourth in the nation averaging 3.1 steals per game.
- UMass Lowell's Max Brooks ranks second in the country in field goal percentage (.734) and 11th in blocked shots per game (2.6).
- Bryant’s Rafael Pinzon leads the league averaging 18.8 points per game.
- On Saturday, UAlbany hosts UMass Lowell, Binghamton welcomes UMBC, Bryant entertains Maine and UNH brings in Vermont.
Fans will once again be able to watch every #AEHoops game this season regardless of where they live! The majority games will air on The AE on ESPN, either ESPN+, in the United States. Games will also be available internationally on AmericaEast.TV. Those games will be available on computers, OTT devices and the brand new America East app, which is available on all IOS and Android devices and can be found by searching ‘America East Conference’ in app stores.
2024-25 Weekly Award Winners (Dec. 31)
Player of the Week
Marcus Banks Jr., UMBC – Sr., Guard, Hampton, Va.
- Matched his career high by scoring 28 points in UMBC’s win over American on Sunday.
- Shot 55 percent from the floor (11-of-20).
- Added a team-high nine rebounds.
- This is Banks’ first #AEHoops Player of the Week honor of the season.
Rookie of the Week
Martin Somerville, UMass Lowell – Fr., Guard, Bowie, Md.
- Scored 12 points and dished out eight assists in UMass Lowell’s win over Emerson on Monday.
- This is Somerville's seventh #AEHoops Rookie of the Week honor this year.
Weekly Award Winners
Nov. 11 – Player of the Week: Quinton Mincey, UMass Lowell; Rookie of the Week: Martin Somerville, UMass Lowell
Nov. 18 - Player of the Week: Justin Neely, UAlbany; Rookie of the Week: Amir Lindsey, UAlbany
Nov. 25 – Player of the Week: Quinton Mincey, UMass Lowell; Rookie of the Week: Martin Somerville, UMass Lowell
Dec. 2 – Player of the Week: Kellen Tynes, Maine; Rookie of the Week: Martin Somerville, UMass Lowell
Dec. 9 – Player of the Week: Chris Walker, Binghamton; Rookie of the Week: Martin Somerville, UMass Lowell
Dec. 16 – Player of the Week: Max Brooks, UMass Lowell; Rookie of the Week: Martin Somerville, UMass Lowell
Dec. 23 – Player of the Week: Max Brooks, UMass Lowell; Rookie of the Week: Martin Somerville, UMass Lowell
Dec. 31 – Player of the Week: Marcus Banks Jr, UMBC; Rookie of the Week: Martin Somerville, UMass Lowell
Follow the @AEHoopsNews on X (Formerly Twitter) account to stay up-to-date on #AEHoops news all season long.
ABOUT AMERICA EAST
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -