UAlbany WBB Faces UMBC in America East Semifinals on Sunday, 4:30 p.m.
Game Notes | Live Stats | Watch Live on ESPN3/WatchESPN
Buy Session Tickets | America East Tournament Central
VESTAL, N.Y. – The 2-seed Great Danes are seeking their fourth-straight America East title berth, taking on 6-seed UMBC in the semifinals on Sunday, March 8th at 4:30 p.m. at the BU Events Center.
America East regular season co-champion UAlbany, the 2-seed with a 14-2 league record, defeated 7-seed Vermont 63-33 in the first round to improve to 22-8 overall. 6-seed UMBC, which went 6-10 in the America East, pulled off an upset with a 49-47 win over 3-seed Stony Brook off a Taylor McCarley basket with three seconds left, entering at 12-18 this season.
The winner of UAlbany-UMBC will play the winner of 1-seed Maine and 5-seed Hartford, being played at 2 p.m. The highest seed remaining with host the America East title game on Friday at 4:30 p.m.
UAlbany won both matchups in the regular season against UMBC, winning on the road 72-62 and at home 84-68. The Great Danes have won the last nine games to lead the series 16-9. They met in the 2012 title game, with UAlbany winning 69-61.
All games of the America East Tournament semifinal rounds with be broadcast live on ESPN3. Eric Frede, Kim Adams and Dani Klupenger will be on the call for the weekend.
For those looking to buy tickets for the tournament: passes for each session are $15 for adult chairbacks, $12 for adult general admission, $9 for youth chairbacks, $6 for youth general admission, $5 for student chairbacks and $3 for student general admission.
All-time, UAlbany is 12-8 in the America East Tournament, including 9-1 under the five years of coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson. UAlbany has won its last nine America East Tournament games. UAlbany has made three America East title game and seven semifinal appearances.
Averaging 69 points per game, UAlbany stands as the top scoring offense in the America East. The team also has the top scoring margin in the conference, winning games by 13.8 points a contest. Junior forward Shereesha Richards, the America East Player of the Year, averages 21.1 points and 8.9 rebounds a contest, coming off a double-double of 20 points and 14 rebounds vs. Vermont. Sophomore guard Imani Tate, the Sixth Player of the Year, earns 14.1 points and six boards a contest, shooting 50.6% from the field and had a 21-point day vs. Vermont. Senior guard Sarah Royals, an All-Conference Third Team member, runs the floor for UAlbany, earning 9.2 points and 4.3 assists a contest.
UMBC is making its first America East semifinal appearance since 2012 and won the conference title in Vestal in 2007 as the 7-seed. The team scores 61.8 points per game, the third-highest scoring offense in the league. Ranking second in the league in scoring, America East All-Conference Second Team junior guard Capree Garner averages 16.9 points and five rebounds a game. Sophomore point guard Taylor McCarley is third in the league with 4.6 assists a game, adding 11.1 points a contest. Sophomore forward Amanda Hagaman shoots 49.7% for 6.5 points and 4.8 boards a game.
