Dylan Penn scored 21 points to lead Vermont to a 72-59 win against UMass Lowell in the America East Conference tournament final in Burlington, Vt.
The top-seeded Catamounts (23-10) extended their winning streak to 15 games and are headed back to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and the fifth time under coach John Becker.
Penn made 8 of 12 shots from the field. Matt Veretto scored 15 points, Finn Sullivan added 14 points and seven rebounds and Aaron Deloney had 10 points.
The second-seeded River Hawks (26-8) shot just 37.7 percent from the field and had their six-game winning streak snapped. Allin Blunt scored 14 points and Yuri Covington added 10 off the bench.
Vermont scored the first five points of the second half to erase a 29-25 halftime deficit. Deloney’s 3-pointer with 12:39 left put the Catamounts ahead for good at 38-37.
Howard 65, Norfolk State 64
Jelani Williams capped a 20-point performance by making two free throws with 6.1 seconds remaining in the second half to help Howard rally to a victory over Norfolk State in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament final in Norfolk, Va.
The third-seeded Spartans (22-11) held a 64-60 lead before Marcus Dockery drained his lone 3-pointer of the game with 13.2 seconds remaining in the second half. Norfolk State’s attempted in-bounds pass sailed out of bounds, and Williams made good from the charity stripe to help the top-seeded Bison (22-12) capture their first MEAC tournament title since 1992 and secure its first NCAA Tournament berth since then and third overall.
Howard, which has defeated Norfolk State on three occasions this season, has won five in a row overall and 14 of its last 16 games.
Dana Tate Jr. recorded 19 points and seven rebounds and Joe Bryant Jr. added 18 points and five steals for the Spartans.
–Field Level Media
