UMBC vs Vermont: America East Championship LIVE at 11 AM ET — NCAA Tournament Bid on the Line
The 2026 America East Men's Basketball Championship is happening right now at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore. No. 1 seed UMBC hosts No. 2 Vermont with one automatic NCAA Tournament bid on the line. UMBC is a 3.5-point favorite and riding an 11-game winning streak. Vermont is chasing its fourth March Madness appearance in five years.
UMBC vs Vermont: Game Details
Tip-off from UMBC's Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena is at 11:00 AM ET Saturday, March 14. The game is live on ESPN2 and streaming on ESPN+. It is also broadcast on Westwood One radio nationally and Sirius XM.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Tip-Off | 11:00 AM ET — TODAY |
| Location | Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena, Baltimore |
| TV | ESPN2 |
| Streaming | ESPN+ / ESPN App |
| Line | UMBC -3.5 |
| Over/Under | 136.5 |
Season Records and Head-to-Head
UMBC enters at 23-8 with a 16-2 America East record, scoring 76.3 points per game and outscoring opponents by 9.0 points per game. Vermont is 22-11 with a 14-4 conference record, averaging 73.8 points and outscoring opponents by 5.4 points per game.
The two teams split the regular season. Vermont won 64-55 on January 29 at home, then UMBC won the rematch 75-62 on February 19. Jah'likai King led UMBC with 24 points in that last meeting, and TJ Long led Vermont with 21 points.
UMBC's Dominant Run: 11 Straight Wins
UMBC has ripped off 11 straight wins and hasn't lost since a 64-55 defeat against Vermont on January 29. The Retrievers have gone 10-1 against the spread during this streak. In the tournament run so far, UMBC averaged 86 points — beating New Hampshire 81-69 and crushing UMass Lowell 91-69 in the semifinals.
Top performers for UMBC: Jah'likai King is scoring 14.3 points per game and DJ Armstrong is averaging 1.9 made three-pointers over the last 10 games. In their last 10 games UMBC is shooting 48.5% from the field while holding opponents to just 61.9 points per game.
Vermont's Case for the Upset
Vermont has won eight of its last nine games and enters winners of five straight. The Catamounts own the head-to-head series historically, taking eight of the last 10 matchups straight up against UMBC. Vermont has already beaten UMBC once this season.
Vermont's TJ Hurley earned America East Player of the Year recognition. Gus Yalden was named Newcomer of the Year and leads Vermont with 16.9 points and 6.7 rebounds over the last 10 games. TJ Hurley is shooting 39.6% from three with 2.4 made triples per game.
Why UMBC Is the Favorite: Home Court Is Massive
The home team holds an .840 winning percentage since the America East playoff format started in 2015 — 63-12 overall. In championship games specifically, the home team is 34-7 all-time, including wins in each of the last six title games. The No. 1 seed has gone 108-15 in the America East playoffs historically.
UMBC's center Jose Roberto Tanchyn has been the key — in a stretch of five February games he pulled down 46 defensive rebounds and blocked six shots, overwhelming rim-oriented offenses throughout the tournament run.
Historical Context: Four Title Meetings Between These Two
This is the fourth time since 2018 these two teams have played for the America East Championship. Vermont won in 2019 and 2022 while UMBC won in 2018. Vermont has made this championship game a conference-record 19th time and the ninth time in the last 11 years under coach John Becker. The winner today punches the America East's automatic bid into the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket — with Selection Sunday coming tomorrow, March 15.
