The University of Hartford’s men’s basketball team will be celebrated at West Hartford Town Hall on Wednesday, April 28.

University of Hartford Men’s Basketball coach John Gallagher with the team after winning the America East Championship game March 13. Courtesy of University of Hartford Athletics (we-ha.com file photo)

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The Town of West Hartford will honor its “neighborhood” team, the University of Hartford, celebrating the Hartford Hawks men’s basketball team winning the America East Championship for the first time, and earning the team’s first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.

As the team headed to Indianapolis, the town hung a “congratulations” banner on Park Road opposite the I-84 Exit 43 ramp, and Wednesday, April 28, will be proclaimed “Hartford Men’s Basketball Day” during a public ceremony in front of the Town Hall Auditorium that begins at 2 p.m.

West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor will read a proclamation, and Hartford Men’s basketball head coach John Gallagher, a West Hartford resident and the winningest coach in program history, will also be in attendance. Speaker of the House Matt Ritter also plans to attend.

Supporters are welcome to attend the celebration, and RSVPs are not necessary.

“Finishing the conference slate with an 8-6 record, the Hawks’ memorable postseason journey began with a win over ninth-seeded Binghamton followed by a quarterfinal victory over fifth-seeded UAlbany. After knocking off second-seeded Vermont – the league’s preseason favorite – on the Catamounts’ home court in the semifinals, Hartford defeated No. 6 UMass Lowell in West Hartford to become the lowest seed in conference history to win the America East Championship,” the University of Hartford noted in a news release.

While the Hawks lost to top-seeded Baylor, which ultimately became the national champion, the trip to the NCAA Tournament was historic for the team which went 15-9 overall in 2020-21, and finished with the best winning percentage in the 37-year Division I history of the program (.625).

Earlier this month, WTNH’s Dennis House broke the news that the University of Hartford is considering a downgrade of its athletics program from Division I to Division III.

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