Burtt Carries Iona to an NCAA Bid

Steve Burtt scored 28 points, leading Iona over St. Peter’s, 80-61, in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship game Monday night at Albany, N.Y., clinching the Gaels’ eighth NCAA tournament berth.

Ricky Soliver shook off early foul trouble, scoring 12 for Iona, which won its conference-leading seventh MAAC title and first since 2001 -- the last time the Gaels qualified for the NCAA tournament. Kiril Wachsmann added 11 points and 12 rebounds, and Burtt was named the tournament’s most valuable player.

At 23-7, the Gaels have produced their most victories since winning 27 in 1997-98, a season before Coach Jeff Ruland took over. Burtt became only the second Iona player to reach the 2,000-point plateau with 2,011. The other was his father Steve Burtt Sr., who scored 2,534 in the early 1980s.

“I thank that man so much,” said the younger Burtt, who leaped into his father’s arms and gave him an extended bear hug shortly after the game ended. “I owe it all to him.”

Keydren Clark scored 25 points to lead the Peacocks (17-15). Besides leading St. Peter’s to its first MAAC title game appearance since 1999, Clark scored 95 points in four games -- passing both Oscar Robertson and Hersey Hawkins -- and finishes with 3,058 points in his career.

North Carolina Wilmington 78, Hofstra 67 -- T.J. Carter scored 12 of his 23 points in the final three minutes at Richmond, Va., lifting the Seahawks (25-7) to their fourth Colonial Athletic Assn. title in seven years and the conference’s automatic NCAA tournament berth.

The Seahawks left Hofstra and co-league champion George Mason hoping for at-large NCAA bids.

The Pride (24-6) trailed by 23 early in the second half of their first appearance in the conference championship game and rallied to within 62-59 with three minutes left before Carter ended a one-for-12 shooting drought with his late scoring spree.