Burlington, Vt. ? What an exit for Vermont coach Tom Brennan.

The Catamounts made the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year Saturday, beating Northeastern, 80-57, for the America East championship behind 37 points from Taylor Coppenrath.

Brennan announced at the beginning of the season that his 19th year leading Vermont would be his last. He went out in style in his last home game.

“I could have never believed it could have gotten to this. What has happened here is beyond belief,” Brennan said. “When we did it the first time I said, ‘Man, this is neat.’ When we did it the second time I thought, ‘Man, this is unbelievable.’ The third time, God almighty, how does this keep happening. Man, I don’t know.”

Vermont (24-6) won the championship by containing Northeastern standout Jose Juan Berea, limiting him to 14 points before he left the game early in the second half because of a twisted ankle. Adrian Martinez added 11 points for Northeastern (21-9).

For Coppenrath, the three-time America East player of the year and second-leading scorer in the nation, it was the fourth time this season he has scored 37 points.

The surprise for the Catamounts was sophomore Martin Klimes, from the Czech Republic, who scored 15 points in the first half.

“When they double Taylor, somebody is going to be open,” Klimes said. “Today, I got a lot of easy hoops under the basket. I had a really good time. Putting ’em in wasn’t really difficult.”

Kansas University beat Vermont, 68-61, Nov. 19 at Allen Fieldhouse.