On Saturday morning, the No. 6 seed UMass Lowell River Hawks will play the No. 3 seed Hartford Hawks at 11 a.m. ET ESPN2 for the America East championship. In the regular season, both teams split their two-game series.
The River Hawks (11-11, 7-8 America East) have won three-straight games, including an upset win over the No. 1 seed UMBC Retrievers last Saturday in the semifinals. Connor Withers led the way with a game-high 28 points on an efficient 9-of-16 shooting from the field and 9-of-13 from behind the arc. Withers and Obadiah Noel were a dynamic duo for UMass Lowell as Noel added 22 points (7-13 FG, 2-4 3pt) and four assists.
The Hawks (14-8, 8-6 America East) have won four-straight games after defeating the Vermont Catamounts last week 71-65 in the semis. Austin Williams was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points (9-12 FG, 4-6 3pt) and nine rebounds. Williams along with Traci Carter carried the offensive workload for Hartford. Carter added 22 points (8-11 FG, 3-5 3pt), four rebounds, and three assists,
Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming
You can watch No. 6 seed UMass Lowell vs. No. 4 seed Hartford on Saturday, March 13th at 11:00 a.m. ET on ESPN2, or you can stream it via the ESPN app with a cable or streaming service login. If you don’t have a cable login to access the ESPN app, you can get a free trial from YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, or Sling TV to stream it.
Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends
Point spread: Hartford -3.5
Point Total: 136
Money line: UMass Lowell +143, Hartford -167
Notes
- Hartford holds opponents to just 29.3% from three-point range, the 12th-best mark in all of Division I.
- UMass Lowell lost by just 10, 74-64, to No. 9 Ohio State earlier this season.
- Both teams are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games.
The Best Bet
UMass Lowell shot 13-27 from three-point range in their 79-77 win over No. 1 seed UMBC to get here. That seems less likely against a Hartford team that defends the perimeter much better. No team has broken 30% from downtown on the Hawks in this tournament, and they’d be favored on a neutral floor as well. When they’re at home, they should get their dance card today.
The Pick: Hartford -3.5
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