ALBANY, N.Y. -- Tyrece Gibbs scored 18 points as fourth-seeded New Hampshire held off a late charge by fifth-seeded Stony Brook to post a 76-73 victory in the quarterfinals of the America East Men's Basketball Championship at SEFCU Arena Saturday evening. The Wildcats advance to the semifinals to take on top-seeded Binghamton Sunday at 5 p.m.
Gibbs scored 15 of his points in the second half to lift UNH (14-15), who will be making its sixth trip to the semifinals and its first since 2006.
New Hampshire hit 11 three-pointers in 30 attempts with four each by Gibbs and Tyrone Conley, who added 16 points. Gibbs hit back-to-back three-pointers to open the second half as UNH widened its four-point halftime advantage to 50-41. Two treys by Conley keyed an 8-0 run midway through the second half to give the Wildcats their biggest lead, 60-47.
UNH led by 11 with 5:42 left before Stony Brook rallied to cut the lead to four with 1:56 remaining. A Muhammad El-Amin three-pointer with 20 seconds left cut the deficit to four, and a Tommy Brenton layup would make it 75-73 with seven seconds remaining. After Eric Gilchrese made one of two from the line, El-Amin missed a three-pointer from the top of the key at the final buzzer.
Both teams played error free for most of the game combining for only13 turnovers and the rebounds were even, 37-37. The Wildcats shot 45 percent from the floor and the Seawolves shot 43percent.
El-Amin tallied a game-high 23 points to pace three Seawolves in double figures. Bryan Dougher added 17 and Dallas Joyner finished with 11. Stony Brook, earning its highest-ever seed in its ninth year in America East, finished its season 16-14.