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03/14 12:37 CDT Armstrong scores career-high 33 points, UMBC returns to NCAA
Tournament after 74-59 win over Vermont
Armstrong scores career-high 33 points, UMBC returns to NCAA Tournament after
74-59 win over Vermont
BALTIMORE (AP) --- DJ Armstrong buried seven 3-pointers and scored a
career-high 33 points, leading top-seeded UMBC to a 74-59 victory over No.
2-seed Vermont in the championship game of the America East Playoffs on
Saturday.
The Retrievers (24-8) will play in the NCAA Tournament for the third time and
earned their first bid since 2018, when they famously became the first 16-seed
to beat a No. 1 seed, upsetting Virginia 74-54.
Three 3-pointers by Armstrong, with the second one resulting in a four-point
play, gave UMBC a 64-56 lead with less than two minutes remaining in the game.
Armstrong and Josh Odunowo then combined to go 10 for 10 from the free-throw
line to finish off the win.
Armstrong made 9 of 11 shots overall and connected on 8 of 9 free throws. Ace
Valentine scored 13 points and was 7 for 7 at the line. UMBC made 22 of 26 free
throws.
TJ Long scored 17 points, and TJ Hurley and Gus Yalden each scored 11 for
Vermont (22-12). The Catamounts made only 4 of 10 free throws.
A 3-pointer by Long gave Vermont a 17-12 lead with 9 1/2 minutes left in the
first half, and the Catamounts led 23-22 with five minutes remaining. A
three-point play by Armstrong put UMBC out front and opened a run in which he
scored all eight of UMBC's points over the final three minutes of the half. The
Retrievers led 30-28 at the break.
Vermont's last lead was 51-48 with seven minutes left in the second half.
The Retrievers finished 15-2 at home this season and went undefeated at home
against America East opponents.
Up next NCAA Tournament pairings will be announced on Sunday. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball |
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