Big Games for Hartford Basketball Teams

The Hartford women's basketball team will take on Albany Saturday in the title game of the 2013 America East Championship.

The men's basketball team will play in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament on Tuesday, March 19, at 7 p.m. in Chase Arena.

Hawks fans will have many reasons to cheer over the next few days, as the women’s basketball team plays for the America East title, and the men’s team plays in its first postseason tournament with a Tuesday game at Chase Arena (scroll down for details).


Women to Play for America East Title

The University of Hartford women's basketball team will take on the Albany Great Danes in the title game of the 2013 America East Championship on Saturday, March 16, at 7 p.m. at SEFCU Arena at the University at Albany. The winner of Saturday's game will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Tickets for the championship game are available through the Athletics Box Office in the Reich Family Pavilion (Sports Center). Ticket prices range from $25 to $30. To purchase tickets, stop by the box office or call 860.768.HAWK (4295).

Student Bus: Free game tickets and bus transportation are available to a limited number of students, courtesy of the Department of Athletics, Student Affairs, and the President's Office. The free tickets and bus trip will be given to the first 45 students who register by visiting the Athletics Box Office or calling 860.768.HAWK (4295). The student bus will leave campus Saturday at 4 p.m., and will return to campus after the game.

Fan Bus: In addition to the student bus, there will be a fan bus for other Hawks fans who want to cheer on the Hartford women in Albany. The fan bus will leave campus Saturday at 2 p.m. The cost for the bus transportation is $25 per person (in addition to the ticket price). To register for the fan bus, stop by the Athletics Box Office in the Sports Center or call the box office at 860.768.HAWK (4295). The fan bus will include a meal stop and a detour to cheer on the Hawks as they leave their hotel and head to the game. The bus will return to campus after the game.

Team Send-Off Friday Morning: Come out and show your support for the Hawks as they leave for Albany on Friday morning! There will be a team send-off on Friday (March 15) at 9:30 a.m. in front of the Sports Center.

Follow the Game: If you can't make it to Albany on Saturday, you can follow the game online on ESPN3, on TV on Fox College Sports, and on the radio on WWUH (91.3 FM or www.wwuh.org).


Men to Play in First Postseason Tournament

Meanwhile, the Hartford men's basketball team has been invited to play in a post-season tournament for the first time in the University's Division I history.

The Hawks will host the opening round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament on Tuesday, March 19. Hartford's opponent has not yet been announced. The Hawks will play at 7 p.m. at Chase Arena.

To buy tickets for Tuesday's game, stop by the Athletics Box Office in the Sports Center, call the box office at 860.768.HAWK (4295), or order tickets online at www.HartfordHawksTickets.com. Ticket prices are: general admission ($5), gallery seating ($12), lower chair back ($15), courtside ($20) and VIP ($30). Tickets are free for University of Hartford students with valid ID.

The Athletics Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“This is an exciting time for both our basketball program and our University,” said men's basketball Head Coach John Gallagher. “To accept the first invitation to the postseason in Hartford's Division I history signifies the progress that our players have made in the short time they have been here. This is a great honor and we look forward to representing the University of Hartford at the national level next week.”

This year will mark the fifth Annual CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. The first four tournaments were a major success, rewarding deserving programs from 23 Division I conferences. Criteria for selection include, but are not limited to, win-loss record, strength of schedule, strength of conference and final 10 games. Participating teams must have at least a .500 record.

The CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament was created in 2009. What began as a 16-team event quickly expanded to 24 teams in 2011 and is now a 32-team postseason event, with invitations extended only to teams outside of the BCS power conferences.