Nikola Priede scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds to help No. 2 seed Vermont beat top-seeded Albany 62-55 on Friday night in the championship game of the America East tournament.

For the third consecutive year, the University at Albany women’s basketball program could not find a way past Vermont in the postseason. This time, the top-seeded Great Danes suffered a 62-55 upset loss to second-seeded Vermont in the America East Conference championship game with a spot in the NCAA Tournament on the line.

Vermont women's basketball broke the halftime tie early in the third quarter and never trailed again to punch its ticket to March Madness on Friday.