Holland scores 17 to lead Boston U.

Boston U. carried over its momentum from the regular season, as it used a game-high 17 points from senior guard/forward John Holland to pull out a 69-60 win over UNH. Along with the great play from Holland, fellow America East All-Conference First-Team selection Darryl Partin added 11 points and five rebounds. In his final game in a New Hampshire uniform, senior guard Tyrone Conley scored 16 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field.

Vermont Survives Tough Matchup

After watching Binghamton set an America East conference tournament record with 17 made three's in its opening around matchup against UMBC, the Vermont Catamounts knew it would take a strong defensive performance to knock off the Bearcats. Although it wasn't always pretty, UVM used an excellent effort on the defensive end, limiting Binghamton to only 26.4 percent shooting from the field, to secure the 57-46 win. Senior forward Evan Fjeld scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds to help the Catamounts advance to the next round.

Martin Leads Stony Brook to Impressive Win

For much of the season, Stony Brook has been forced to rely on inexperienced players, as the Seawolves have faced multiple serious injuries. However, the benefits of experience were on display today, as senior guard Chris Martin scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead the Seawolves to the 67-61 win over Albany. Martin, who has missed much of the season while battling injuries, was clutch down the stretch for Stony Brook. In his final game in an Albany uniform, senior guard Tim Ambrose scored a game-high 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting.

AExtra Learns What it Takes to be a Catamount Fan

With the No. 1 seed Vermont Catamounts getting ready to face Binghamton, it should come as no surprise that fans from Burlington have started to flock to Hartford. Since UVM has such a passionate fanbase, AExtra thought it would be smart to stop by the pregame festivities and learn what makes Vermont fans so unique.

Hitting the Links: Men's Quarterfinals

Saturday of Championship Weekend means it's the men's turn to get in on the fun with some quarterfinal action. Four games are on tap for this afternoon and evening as America East cuts eight teams down to four for Sunday's semis. Today though, each matchup has earned some ink from hometown media.

In game one of the day, No. 5 Stony Brook and No. 4 Albany take the court at Chase Family Arena. In the regular season, Albany took both games against the Seawolves. Now, the Great Danes try to pull off the trifecta. As the Albany Time Union put it in its preview, the third time would be the charm. Stony Brook will look to get a little revenge on the Danes. The Seawolves, as Newsday pointed out, is coming off a big win against Binghamton in its season finale. Now, Stony Brook is trying to make it two straight over a SUNY rival. 

In game two this afternoon, top-seeded Vermont opens its postseason against No. 9 Binghamton. Vermont comes in nursing some injuries to key players Evan Fjeld and Brendan Bald, but coach Mike Lonergan told the Burlington Free Press that there are no excuses. Binghamton had nothing to make excuses for after its win in the 8/9 game against UMBC on Thursday. The  Bearcats come into Saturday with a hot hand and a pair of teammates (Moussa Camara and Greer Wright) that broke the 30-point barrier against the Retrievers.

The evening tips off with No. 7 New Hampshire and No. 2 Boston U. The two teams split their regular-season meetings. New Hampshire won the latest matchup between the two on January 29 at Lundholm Gym in Durham. However, the Boston Globe reminds everyone that the Terriers are poised for the postseason after they posted a perfect 8-0 February.

Finally, No. 3 Maine takes on the tournament host, No. 6 Hartford, in the nightcap. Maine had been slumping in the second-half of America East play this season, but according to the Bangor Daily News, senior forward Troy Barnies is still hopeful. Hartford though beat Maine twice this season and is led by a deep senior class that includes forward Anthony Minor, who was profiled this morning by the Hartford Courant.

Now that you know the matchups and the stories, now all that is left is to watch the games!

Hartford Pulls Out Thrilling Victory

In a contest between two evenly-matched teams, Hartford did an excellent job of converting from the free-throw line down the stretch to pull out the 48-43 victory over Albany. Although it was the last game of the night, the energy in the building was high as the two teams went back-and-forth throughout the night. The Hawks were led by sophomore forward Ruthanne Doherty, who scored 11 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. The Great Danes received a strong effort from Cassandra Callaway, as she netted a game-high 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field.

Kurowski Scores 26 to lead UMBC

After winning its first-ever America East regular season championship, UMBC knew the road to a spot in the NCAA Tournament would be tough. In a matchup with Stony Brook, the Retrievers were tested by a tough and proud Seawolves team, but were able to escape with the 74-65 win. America East All-Conference First-Team selection Michelle Kurowski scored a game-high 26 points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds to lead the Retrievers to the impressive win. In her final game in a Stony Brook uniform, America East All-Conference Second-Team selection Kirsten Jeter scored 17 points and snagged 11 rebounds.

Binghamton Survives Late Rally

Despite a late rally from the New Hampshire Wildcats, Binghamton was able to hold on and escape with a 67-53 win in the quarterfinal matchup. After trailing by 20 points, UNH was able to cut the deficit to single digits. However, the Wildcats were unable to complete the comeback, as junior forward Viive Rebane netted a game-high 20 points to help Binghamton survive the late rally. With the victory, the Bearcats advance to face Boston University on Sunday.

Stifling Defensive Performance Leads Boston U. to Victory

Boston University put together a physical defensive effort in its 62-38 victory over Vermont in a quarterfinal matchup. The Terriers limited Vermont to only 20.4 percent shooting from the field and also controlled the paint, outrebounding the Catamounts, 50-42. On the offensive end, America East Player of the Year Chantell Alford scored a game-high 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting to lead Boston U. For the Catamounts, sophomore forward/center Lauren Buschmann scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the double-double.

Scholl Discusses Matchup with UNH

With the quarterfinal round underway today, AExtra thought it would be good to catch up with Binghamton head coach Nicole Scholl as her team prepares to face New Hampshire. Along with the upcoming game, Scholl discusses the play of America East Rookie of the Year Jasbriell Swain and America East All-Conference Second-Team selection Viive Rebane.

Hardware Handed Out at Women's Basketball Awards Reception

Just a few hours before action began on the court, representatives from all nine women's basketball programs came together to celebrate a tremendous regular season. At the Women's Basketball Awards Reception, the All-Conference teams were revealed, as were the individual award winners. AExtra had the chance to enjoy the festivities and look back on a great 2010-11 America East regular season.

Hitting the Links: Women's Quarterfinals

The tournament continues this afternoon and this evening with the women's quarterfinals. By the end of the tonight, the field will be trimmed to four semifinalists. So who are the teams today.

In the afternoon session, the #7 seed Vermont Catamounts take on the #2 Boston University Terriers in a rematch of the season finale for both teams last Saturday. The Burlington Free Press and BU Today have both run previews of their respective teams' hopes for an America East title.

In game two of the afternoon session, #6 New Hampshire and #3 Binghamton square off. New Hampshire brings its all-conference honorees Denise Beliveau and Kelsey Hogan into a matchup against Binghamton and Rookie of the Year Jasbriell Swain.

The evening session tips at 6 p.m. with #8 Stony Brook going against regular-season champion UMBC. Stony Brook is running on short rest after beating Maine last night in the 8/9 game. UMBC comes in after a long layoff having played their last game of the season on February 23, but is riding a hot streak as it looks for its second America East championship.

Finally, the evening closes out with the #5 Albany Great Danes taking on the tournament host, #4 Hartford. For Albany, Defensive Player of the Year Ebone Henry looks to lead the Danes to an extended tournament run. For Hartford, it is senior point guard Jackie Smith who keyed the Hawks' late-season success. 

Today, all of these matchups are sorted out and we get one round closer to finding out who will represent America East at the 2011 NCAA Tournament!

Don't forget, you can watch all of the action through streaming video live online. All the links you need to know are on America East's Championship Central!

Binghamton Shoots Lights Out in Win Over UMBC

In the final game of the day, the Binghamton men's basketball team set an America East Tournament record with 17-made shots from behind the arc and pulled away for the 91-65 win. AExtra was blown away by how well the Bearcats shot the ball, with senior forward Greer Wright leading the way with 31 points. Senior guard Moussa Camara added 30 points for the Bearcats in the win. In the loss, UMBC received a strong performance from graduate student forward Justin Fry, as he scored 13 points and grabbed six boards in the final game of his career.

Jeter Scores 26 to lead Stony Brook

In the opening game of the America East conference tournament, Stony Brook senior forward Kirsten Jeter netted a game-high 26 points to lead Stony Brook to the impressive 76-55 victory. Jeter also pulled down eight rebounds in the win. Maine was led by Brittany Williams in the loss, as she scored a team-high 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting.

AExtra Welcomes Everyone to Hartford

While it may feel like it was yesterday that AExtra was waking up at 6 a.m. to watch Stony Brook face Monmouth, the reality is that the college basketball season is now wrapping up. Although that might be considered sad news for some fans, the positive note is that the most exciting month of the year is officially ready to get started. No matter how many struggles your favorite team may have had during the season, the America East conference tournament means a chance in the NCAA Tournament is just a few wins away. Before the festivities kicked off on the court, AExtra had a chance to make an appearance at the Women's Basketball Awards Reception and caught up with some of the most exciting talent in the America East. AExtra spoke with Hartford sophomore forward, who was named to the America East All-Conference Third-Team after a great season. Here are her thoughts on this honor and also the upcoming conference tournament.

UMBC Women's Lacrosse upsets #17 Towson, 10-9

The UMBC women’s lacrosse team (3-1) scored five straight second-half goals to rally from a halftime deficit and defeat 17th-ranked Towson (0-1) by a score of 10-9 Wednesday afternoon at UMBC Stadium It was the Retrievers’ first win over their cross-town rival since 2002, snapping a streak of six straight losses to the Tigers.

Hitting the Links: America East Basketball Championship!

With the arrival of March, so too comes the arrival of the madness. In America East, that madness begins tonight when the 2011 America East Men's and Women's Championships tip off at the Chase Family Arena on the campus of the University of Hartford.

Tonight kicks off with the women's and men's first round. In the women's bracket, No. 9 Maine takes on No. 8 Stony Brook for the right to play No. 1 UMBC tomorrow evening. In anticipation of the tournament, the Bangor Daily News ran a story about the leadership of senior Tanna Ross. On the other side of the court will be a Stony Brook team hungry to make some noise in the tournament, led by their own stud senior, Kirsten Jeter. The Seawolves were profiled as part of a special tournament edition of the Hartford Informer.

On the men's side, No. 9 Binghamton squares off with No. 8 UMBC for a spot in the quarterfinals and a date with top-seeded Vermont on Saturday. The Bearcats, as told by the Press & Sun Bulletin, face a "hard climb." They also face a UMBC team led by junior point guard Chris De La Rosa, who was recently named America East Player of the Game for the season overall.

For a student media look at each of the team's playing tonight, check out the Informer's stories on the Maine women, Stony Brook women, Binghamton men and UMBC men. You can also check out articles on each team competing this weekend at the Informer website.

You can also check out all of the tournament action, including live stats and streaming video, at Championship Central at AmericaEast.com!

It's Championship Week!

We're just one day away from the start of the 2011 America East Men's and Women's Basketball Championship presented by Newman's Own! The regular season is now behind us, the seedings and bracket are now set, and there's nothing more to do than to sit back and see what happens! In a league such as America East where the conference typically gets just one bid to the NCAA tournament, the league championship is even more important. But that is often what makes a one-bid conference's championship more exciting than most--there's so much on the line.

Past America East Championships have proven that anything can happen. Take 2009 as an example where the men's title game nearly ended up being #6 UMBC at #4 UNH. Or 2007, where on the women's side, UMBC won the entire tournament and the league's NCAA bid as a #7 seed! What upsets could we see this year? Check out the two brackets below, and let us know who your underdog in 2011 may be!

Weekly Awards

Men's Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week:




Women's Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week:

UVM drops regular season finale to BU in overtime

Boston University needed over time to drop UVM 66-64 in the last game prior to the America East Conference Tournament starting next week. Game highlights and post-game interviews below.

Seniors Shine as Hawks Defeat Wildcats

WEST HARTFORD, Conn.— Upperclassmen led the way for Hartford as they beat New Hampshire 62-54 on Senior Day to take sole possession of the No.6 seed heading into the America East tournament.
Joe Zeglinski led all scorers with 22 points in his final regular season game as a Hawk, and uncharacteristically registered 12 of his total inside the arc on contested layups and jumpers.

Fellow senior Kevin Estes played a season-high 24 minutes for 11 points, just one shy of his career-high. He closed out the season going 8-8 for 19 points including the game against Stony Brook.

“Everyone was playing really hard for us and we appreciate it,” said Joe Zeglinski of his team’s effort for the graduating class. “We just wanted to end our last game feeling good about ourselves.”