The 1981 America East Men's Basketball Tournament was hosted by the higher seeds in head-to-head matchups. Canisius, New Hampshire, Niagara and Rhode Island did not qualify for the 1981 tournament. The final was held at The Cabot Center

Solomon Court at Cabot Center

Solomon Court at Cabot Center is the home of several indoor athletic teams of Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Built in 1954 and named in 1957 for patron Godfrey Lowell Cabot, the facility seats 2,500 fans for basketball and volleyball...

 on the campus of the Northeastern University. Northeastern gained its first overall America East Conference Championship and an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament

1981 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

The 1981 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1981, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...

 with its win over Holy Cross. Northeastern was given the 11th seed in the West Regional of the NCAA Tournament and won in the first round against Fresno

California State University, Fresno

California State University, Fresno, often referred to as Fresno State University and synonymously known in athletics as Fresno State , is one of the leading campuses of the California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA.The campus sits at the foot of...

 55–53, but lost in the second round to Utah

Utah Utes men's basketball

The University of Utah Utes have consistently been one of the most successful basketball programs in the NCAA. They are currently an NCAA Division I program that plays in the Pacific-12 Conference. The school has made the NCAA Tournament 26 times, which ranks 16th in NCAA history and 3rd behind...

 94–69. Holy Cross and Rhode Island both gained bids to the NIT

1981 National Invitation Tournament

-Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Purdue 75, West Virginia 72...

 and lost within the first two rounds to Syracuse

Syracuse Orange men's basketball

The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...

 and Purdue

Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball

The Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball holds the record for most Big Ten Championships with 22, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning records...

 respectively.

Bracket and Results

* Game Ended in Overtime


** Game Ended in Triple-Overtime