Dylan Penn scored 21 points to lead Vermont to a 72-59 win against UMass Lowell in the America East Conference tournament final in Burlington, Vt.
The top-seeded Catamounts (23-10) extended their winning streak to 15 games and are headed back to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and the fifth time under coach John Becker.
Penn made 8 of 12 shots from the field. Matt Veretto scored 15 points, Finn Sullivan added 14 points and seven rebounds and Aaron Deloney had 10 points.
The second-seeded River Hawks (26-8) shot just 37.7 percent from the field and had their six-game winning streak snapped. Allin Blunt scored 14 points and Yuri Covington added 10 off the bench.
Vermont scored the first five points of the second half to erase a 29-25 halftime deficit. Deloney’s 3-pointer with 12:39 left put the Catamounts ahead for good at 38-37.
–Field Level Media