BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) Payton Henson scored six of his 18 points in an 11-2 closing run and Vermont won its 17th straight game and captured the American East championship with a 62-50 win over Albany on Wednesday night.

Albany led by seven early in the first half when Ernie Duncan and Dre Lewis combined for all the points in a 9-2 run that tied the game at 41 with 12:20 to play. Henson scored four straight points to cap a 6-0 surge that put the Catamounts up by four with 8:31 remaining. The Great Danes were within 51-48 on a Joe Cremo 3-pointer with 6:23 left but from there they went 1 of 6 with four turnovers.

Henson started the closing run with a pair of free throws. Duncan hit a 3 that erased the Danes' one basket and then Henson had two layups to close out the Catamounts' sixth out American East title, the first in three seasons.

Vermont (25-5, 15-0) tied the school record for wins, matching the 2005, 2007 and 2010 teams. Duncan finished with 13 points and Anthony Lamb had 12.

David Nichols had 18 points for Albany (18-12, 9-6).

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