Baltimore – Top-seeded UMBC will host the 2026 Air Force Reserve America East Conference championship after defeating No. 4-seeded UMass Lowell, 91-69, in front of an energized crowd at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena on Tuesday evening. The Retrievers will face No. 2-seeded Vermont at 11:00 a.m. Saturday for an automatic NCAA Tournament berth. UMBC's 11th win in a row tied a program-record that dates back to the 1998-99 season.

Junior guard Jah'Likai King scored a game-high 24 points, drilling 5-of-8 treys, to lead four Retrievers in double-figures.  Junior guard Ace Valentine added 15 points and a team-high three steals, while graduate student forward Josh Odunowo (13 points, six rebounds) and sophomore forward Caden Diggs (12 points) were also in double-figures. Junior forward Jose Roberto Tanchyn grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and chipped in with nine points.

UMBC (23-8) hit 54.1 percent (33-of-61) of its field goal attempts, including 9-of-20 (45 percent) from behind the arc. UMBC committed just six miscues and outscored the visitors 22-2 in points from turnovers. The Retrievers' bench also outscored the River Hawks by a 21-1 margin.

UMass Lowell (15-18) led 10-9 early, but UMBC responded with a nine-point run, highlighted by Odunowo's free throws and buckets from Armstrong Jr., King, and Diggs, taking control at the 12:44 mark. Odunowo later reached 1,000 career points in the second half.

After the River Hawks made it 20-16 with 11 minutes left, King hit two free throws, then a three-pointer, and Diggs added another, pushing the score to 28-16 with 8:33 remaining.

UMBC's lead swelled to 17 points, 35-18, after Armstrong Jr. and Tanchyn nailed back-to-back treys with 6:32 left. The Retrievers carried a 43-29 advantage into intermission.

The Retrievers widened the lead to 18 points, 54-36, just 2:44 into the second half when Valentine hit a trifecta.

UMass Lowell twice cut the deficit to 11, most recently at 13:19, but a six-point UMBC run re-extended the lead to 68-51 with 11:09 left.

The River Hawks never cut the deficit below 14 points for the rest of the contest.

Angel Montas Jr. scored 20 points for the visitors, and Austin Green produced a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Saturday's championship will mark the first time UMBC has hosted a championship at the 'Peake.  It's the fifth time the Retrievers will battle Vermont for the America East Championship. UMBC last won the AE crown in 2017-2018, defeating Vermont, and went on to beat Virginia in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.