Great Danes and Tigers Capture Conference Titles, Go Dancing

The Albany Great Dames became the first team this Saturday to punch their ticket to the NCAA tourney with a 53-49 victory over the Vermont Catamounts. Albany won the America East conference tourney and the automatic bid.

In Tulsa, it took two overtimes, but the Memphis Tigers grabbed their seventh Conference-USA championship and third in a row, topping Southern Miss, 91-79.

More scores and highlights as the big day of conference championships develops...

Tickets Punched: Memphis Captures Conference-USA; Vermont grabs America East Title

America East: Vermont 51 Stony Brook 43 - The Catamounts reached the NCAA tournament for the 5th time in the last ten years by winning the America East conference tournament over a determined Stony Brook squad, holding the Sea Wolves to just 29% shooting. Brian Voelkel took just one shot, made it, added three free throws for five points, but hauled in 15 rebounds for Vermont. Four McGlynn, the only Catamount in double figures, scored 14 points with four 3-pointers. Vermont will likely be a 15 or 16 seed.

Conference USA: Memphis 83 Marshall 57 - The Memphis Tigers returned to the NCAAs, capturing the Conference-USA championship and automatic bid with a wide-open win over Marshall, which had made an unpredicted run to the tourney final. The Tigers took an 18-point lead into the half and expanded it in the second period. Will Barton led all scorers with 18 points and 13 rebounds to pace unranked, 26-8, Memphis, which has won the conference tourney six times in the last seven years.