Albany 53, Vermont 49: Mike Black led the way with 14 points as the Great Danes advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in school history by beating host Vermont in the America East Conference final.

Jacob Iati hit back-to-back 3-pointers - his only field goals of the game - to give Albany a four-point lead in the final minutes and finished with eight points. Luke Devlin scored 12 and grabbed five rebounds for the Great Danes (24-10), who earned their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007.

Clancy Rugg and Trey Blue each had 10 points for the Catamounts (21-11), who defeated Albany twice during the regular season. Brian Voelkel added a team-leading 10 rebounds.

Vermont led 10-0 to start the game, but a 21-4 run by Albany helped the Great Danes enter halftime with a 28-20 advantage. The Catamounts clawed back to take a 45-43 lead, but Iati scored from behind the arc on consecutive possessions to restore Albany’s advantage with 1:38 remaining.

Vermont dominated the boards by a 37-21 rebound margin, but committed 14 turnovers to Albany’s nine. The Catamounts were 1-for-14 from 3-point range, while the Great Danes closed the game with clutch free-throw shooting and finished 9-for-13 from the line.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Iati was 0-for-11 from 3-point range in two regular-season games against Vermont. … Albany has never won an NCAA Tournament game, losing to Connecticut and Virginia in the first rounds in 2006 and 2007, respectively. … Vermont won the America East Conference tournament last season.