Several regional teams near NCAA tourney

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Several regional college basketball teams are making runs at the NCAA tournament this week.

Today at noon in Springfield, the Marist College women’s basketball team goes for its eighth straight MAAC championship against Iona, a longtime foe that has never been able to send the Red Foxes packing in March. Top-ranked Marist is in the championship for the 10th straight year and has beaten Iona in the title game in 2007 and ’08.

On the men’s side, the Iona faces Manhattan tonight at 9.

The University at Albany is set for a rare Saturday exacta, with both its men’s and women’s teams in the America East title game. The top-ranked UAlbany women will try to complete a perfect conference season against second-seeded Hartford Saturday night. The Great Danes are looking for their second straight championship.

The fourth-ranked men’s team travels to second-seeded Vermont Saturday morning in a rematch of the 2006 and ’07 championships. The Great Danes advanced to their third title game with nail-biting wins over Maine and Stony Brook this weekend.

On the line for everyone is a coveted slot in the NCAA Tournament, which kicks off March 19.