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UMBC to Play Howard in NCAA Tournament First Four, with Winner Playing Michigan

On March 17, UMBC Retrievers men's basketball team and Howard Bison men's basketball team will meet in a First Four play-in game in Dayton at 6:40 p.m., with the winner playing Michigan in Buffalo on Thursday.
After winning its conference final, UMBC clinched an NCAA berth by beating Vermont 74-59, while Howard secured its spot by winning the MEAC Tournament and finishing with 26 wins.
UMBC enters at 24-8 overall and 17-2 in America East play as a 16-seed, led by junior guard D.J. Armstrong Jr., who averages 13.2 points, while the team averages 8.1 made 3-pointers per game.
Bookmakers favor UMBC Retrievers by a 2.5-point spread in the First Four, listing a-145 moneyline and a 140.5 points over/under, per BetMGM Sportsbook.
UMBC returns to the tournament for the first time since its historic 2018 upset over a No. 1 seed and arrives with a program-record 12 consecutive wins.

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