Top Seeds Vermont, UMBC Roll Into #AEPlayoffs Title Game Showdown

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For the third time in five years, Vermont and UMBC will play for the America East men’s basketball title. The top two seeds both advanced to Saturday’s championship game with semifinal wins on Wednesday evening.

The top-seeded Catamounts got dominating performances from their two first-team All-Conference standouts get past sixth-seeded Binghamton, 74-42, while second-seeded UMBC used a strong second half to knock off fourth-seeded Hartford, 80-60. It’s the first time since 2018 that the top two seeds will play for the league crown.

Vermont and UMBC will decide the 2022 league title on Saturday at Patrick Gym in Burlington in a battle for a conference championship at 11 a.m. on ESPN2. The league champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

For full playoff coverage, including box scores, highlights, photos, and more, visit #AEPlayoffs Central

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#1 Vermont, #6 Binghamton

Ryan Davis and Ben Shungu combined for 42 of Vermont’s 74 points to lead the top-seeded Catamounts to a win over sixth-seeded Binghamton in the 2022 #AEPlayoffs semifinals.
The Catamounts have reached the championship game for the fifth time in the last six years and 15^th time overall.
Vermont used a 10-0 first-half run to establish a double-digit lead as Ben Shungu’s layup with 7:52 left made it 24-13.
After Binghamton cut the deficit to eight early in the second half, Vermont exploded for a 17-3 run to make the margin 22 and put the game away.
Shungu, a first-team All-Conference standout, scored a game-high 23 points, while, Davis, the Player of the Year, added 19.
First-teamer Jacob Falko added 13 points for Binghamton.

#2 UMBC 80, #4 Hartford 70

No. 2 UMBC outscored No. 4 Hartford by 20 points in the second half to knock off the Hawks in the 2022 #AEPlayoffs semifinals.
Five Retrievers scored in twin figures. Szymon Wojcik led five players in double figures with 19 points.
The Retrievers are making their third championship game appearance in the last five years.
UMBC has won 12 of their last 15 games overall.
After Hartford’s Traci Carter closed to gap to one at 48-47 with 12:31 left, UMBC closed the game on a 32-13 run.
Jared Kimbrough led Hartford with 16 points.
Nathan Johnson and Darnell Rogers each scored 13 points for UMBC.

Vermont (26-5) and UMBC (18-13) famously met in the 2018 and 2019 title games with each team winning one. They’ll meet in a rubber match for the 2022 title on Saturday.

About America East: The America East provides its member schools and their athletic programs a platform upon which student-athletes can achieve both collegiate and life success through the promotion and nurturing of athletic excellence, academic achievement, and leadership, on and off the field.