WHAT -- America East Conference championship game

WHERE -- RAC Arena, Catonsville

When -- Today, noon

TV -- ESPN2

WHAT TO WATCH -- Winner grabs America East's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. ... This is the first championship game appear ance for either school. ... Teams ex changed one-point home wins dur ing the regular season. ... UMBC needed a three-point buzzer-beater by Brian Hodges to earn an 86-85 vic tory Jan. 16. The Retrievers shot a conference season-low 33 percent in a 58-57 loss March 2 in West Hartford, Conn. ... Hartford's Warren McLen don was tough inside and scored 29 points in the second game, ending UMBC's nine-game winning streak. ... Thanks to Jay Greene's ball security, UMBC leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.62) and in fewest turnovers (9.5). Greene is second in the nation with 7.3 assists per game and an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.53. ... The Retrievers rank 27th in the nation in three-point shooting percentage (.390). ... Hartford has won eight of its past 10 games but lost by 31 points at Boston University on Feb. 28. ... Hartford averages 71 points, and UMBC averages 74.9. ... Rebounding was virtually even (UMBC, plus-3) in the two games. Darryl Proctor led the Retrievers with 28 total rebounds.