University Of Hartford Qualifies For NCAA Basketball Tournament

WEST HARTFORD, CT — For the first time in program history, the University of Hartford men's basketball team is headed to the NCAA tournament after topping UMass Lowell 64-50 in the America East Conference championship game Saturday inside Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion.

The Hawks now await the NCAA Selection Show, which airs Sunday at 6 p.m. on CBS, to find out their first-round opponent.

"If you know anything about me, we're not going to [Indianapolis] to say hello; we're going there to win," head coach John Gallagher said.

Senior Austin Williams was named the America East Championship’s Most Outstanding Player. In the title game, he tallied 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds. He was joined on the All-Championship team by grad student Traci Carter, who poured in a game-high 19 points, and junior Hunter Marks, who scored 14 points. Marks also received the Elite 18 award for having the highest GPA of all participants in the league’s title game.

"I love Traci Carter, the way he managed the game, and Austin Williams really had a huge second half," Gallagher said. "As we move forward here, we've got to get other guys playing well."

Hartford's tenacious defense limited the River Hawks to 29.5 percent shooting from the floor.

The victory clinched the first conference championship for the Hawks since moving to Division I 37 years ago.

"For our program, what do you say?" Gallagher said. "Four best years in school history. They were firing me four years ago, and rightfully so; wasn't getting it done. We just buckled down."

Former Hartford player Terry Preston, a team member just prior to the switch to Division I in the early 1980s, told Patch, "It's a great achievement for the university, coaches, players and the people who laid the groundwork for this moment - former president Trachtenberg, Bob Chernak and Jack Phelan. GO HAWKS!!!!"

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