UMBC Retrievers Seek NCAA Bid in America East Semifinal

Top-seeded UMBC faces No. 4 UMass Lowell in conference tournament matchup

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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The UMBC Retrievers, who famously upset No. 1 seed Virginia in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, look to secure their first tournament bid since that historic win as they take on the UMass Lowell River Hawks in the America East semifinal. UMBC enters the game as a heavy favorite, ranking in the top 200 in both KenPom and Torvik while UMass Lowell sits outside the top 300.

Why it matters

This game represents a chance for UMBC to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since their 2018 upset of Virginia, one of the biggest Cinderella stories in tournament history. A win would continue UMBC's quest to replicate that magical run, while a loss would extend their NCAA Tournament drought.

The details

UMBC (22-8, 14-2 Am. East) is the top seed in the America East tournament and is led by a pair of backcourt sharpshooters in Ace Valentine and DJ Armstrong. UMass Lowell (15-17, 9-7 Am. East) advanced to the semifinal with a five-point win over Albany in the opening round. While UMBC has major advantages on both ends of the floor, their only weakness is a poor offensive rebounding rate, which is balanced by a top-10 defensive rebounding rate.

  • The game is scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at 6 p.m. ET.

The players

UMBC Retrievers

The top-seeded team in the America East tournament, known for their historic 2018 upset of No. 1 seed Virginia in the NCAA Tournament.

UMass Lowell River Hawks

The No. 4 seed in the America East tournament, who advanced to the semifinal with a win over Albany in the opening round.

Ace Valentine

One of UMBC's starting backcourt players and a key sharpshooter for the Retrievers.

DJ Armstrong

The other starting backcourt player for UMBC, forming a potent scoring duo with Ace Valentine.

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What’s next

The winner of the UMBC-UMass Lowell matchup will advance to the America East championship game, with a chance to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

UMBC's quest to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since their historic 2018 upset of Virginia faces a significant hurdle, but the Retrievers' strong overall performance and backcourt duo of Ace Valentine and DJ Armstrong make them heavy favorites to secure a spot in the America East final.