America East Basketball News and Notes

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Over the weekend two more teams have clinched home court for the quarterfinal of the #AEPlayoffs. Stony Brook and Maryland-Baltimore County have joined Vermont. That leaves just one spot up for grabs with the Hartford Hawks having the inside track.

America East continues to have two teams rank in the collegeinsider.com Top 25 poll. Vermont (22-6) is ranked just outside the top 10 at #13. Stony Brook (21-6) is sitting at #20. These two programs have been a part of this poll since the season began.

There are two teams that are making a late-season run. UMBC (18-11) has won four of its last five games. Last Thursday night, they ended Vermont’s 24-game road winning streak. The 65-56 win gave Maryland-Baltimore County a season sweep over the Catamounts becoming the first team to be able to claim that since UAlbany did it back in 2015-16.

Speaking of the Great Danes, they have been peaking at the right time as well having won three in a row and six of its last eight games. UAlbany recorded big wins last week over both Stony Brook and Maryland-Baltimore County.

America East also strives to be the best it can be off the court as well as on it. Last Thursday, two league players earned the CoSida Google Cloud Academic All-District honors. UMBC’s Joe Sherburne and UMass Lowell’s Christian Lutete were both named to this honor. Congrats to both student-athletes.

The Player Of The Week is Akwaski Yeboah of Stony Brook. The junior forward averaged 24.5 points, nine rebounds and two steals for the Seawolves last week. He shot 59% from the field (16-of-27) and was 57 percent from three-point land (8-for-14). He collected 27 points and six boards in a win last Saturday over Maine.

Cameron Healy of Albany is the Rookie Of the Week. The freshman guard averaged 22.5 points, five rebounds, and two assists in an undefeated week for the Great Danes. Healy shot 55% (12-for-22), including 59 percent from behind the arc (10-of-17). He had 24 points and five boards in their win over Stony Brook on the road last Thursday. He followed that up with a 21-point and five caroms in a win over Maryland-Baltimore County last Saturday.

Binghamton freshman guard, Sam Sessoms is having a terrific first year for the Bearcats. He has gone over the 20-point mark eleven times this season. His 21 points and four assists performance helped his team get a big road win last Thursday at Lowell.

The main reason the Hartford Hawks sit in the fourth position in the league standings is the play of their seniors down the stretch. As a group, they have averaged at least 13.3 points per game. J.R. Lynch is leading the way with a career-high 16.1 PPG. The team is averaging a league-best 10.8 three-pointers per game during America East play. For the league season, Hartford is shooting 41%. from deep.