UMBC and UMass-Lowell Face Off in America East Tournament

The two teams will meet in the annual conference tournament matchup.

Mar. 9, 2026 at 9:34am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The UMBC Retrievers and UMass-Lowell River Hawks will face off in the America East Tournament, the annual postseason championship event for the America East Conference. The two teams have a long-standing rivalry in the conference and will be competing for a chance to advance in the tournament.

Why it matters

The America East Tournament is a highly anticipated event for college basketball fans in the region, as it determines the conference champion and which team will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.

The details

UMBC and UMass-Lowell are both members of the America East Conference, which is a Division I college athletic conference in the Northeastern United States. The two teams have a history of competitive matchups in the conference regular season and tournament.

  • The America East Tournament is an annual event that takes place in March.
  • This year's tournament is scheduled for March 9, 2026.

The players

UMBC Retrievers

The men's basketball team of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, a public research university located in Baltimore County, Maryland.

UMass-Lowell River Hawks

The men's basketball team of the University of Massachusetts Lowell, a public research university located in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What’s next

The winner of the UMBC-UMass-Lowell matchup will advance to the next round of the America East Tournament, moving one step closer to earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.

The takeaway

The annual America East Tournament is an exciting event for college basketball fans in the region, as it features competitive matchups between long-standing conference rivals like UMBC and UMass-Lowell, with the winner earning a chance to compete in the NCAA Tournament.