All season long, the feeling around the America East was that the true prize for the middle-of-the-pack teams was the No. 2 seed. When the Hartford Hawks (16-15, 10-6 AE) upset No. 1 UMBC in the regular season finale, second-year head coach Dan Leibovitz’s overachieving squad clinched the “prize” after being picked to finish sixth.

Their reward? A date with No. 7 New Hampshire (9-19, 6-10 AE), the league’s most unpredictable and potentially dangerous team.

“We can’t say that because we’re seeded two and they’re seven, that we’ll win,” Leibovitz said. “The teams in this tournament are just so even and any team can beat any other team on any given night.”

The Wildcats are dangerous because their roster is full of young players who can get hot from the perimeter.

This matchup makes for one of the most intriguing quarterfinal games on tap Saturday: The two teams take and make more 3-pointers than anyone else in the league and split the regular season series. Whichever team is more successful from downtown will likely find itself in the semifinals.

“In our case, we don’t really have a choice [in taking 3-pointers],” said UNH head coach Bill Herrion. “If there’s a weakness with our team, it’s that we have little inside scoring. That’s no secret. We try to spread the floor and shoot it. When we make shots, we’re a very dangerous basketball team.”

The danger is amplified by the fact that Hartford plays mostly zone-defense and is the AE’s worst 3-point-defending team, allowing opponents to shoot .404 from beyond the arc. Leibovitz said he doesn’t think his defensive scheme will hurt his team. “I think if anyone gets hot from behind the arc, then you’re in trouble, whether you play zone or man. A team that shoots 3s will get them off no matter what kind of defense you throw at them.”

Michael Turner, one of the league’s best individual defenders, spearheads Hartford’s zone. Turner, a 6-foot-5-inch small forward, is an extension of Leibovitz on the court and even plays some point-forward on offense.

Unlike the Wildcats, the Hawks have a contingency plan if they get cold from the perimeter: Warren McLendon. The 6-foot-6-inch junior center, a transfer from the Citadel, gives Hartford a legitimate post threat — a commodity that Herrion doesn’t have at his disposal.

“He’s going to be an issue,” Herrion said. “You have to extend so much out on their perimeter because they shoot it so well. So when McLendon is a factor, now you have to make some choices. If you double him, he’s a very good passer out of the post.”

McLendon is capable of going off for a big game if he’s not defended properly, but he has been limited in games where he gets called for early fouls. Since he is a physical player, in a tournament game that is called closely by officials, he may have trouble staying on the floor.

“It’s difficult for him sometimes because he’s physical,” Leibovitz said. “He’s starting to figure out what he needs to do to stay out of foul trouble.”

The game will also feature a showdown between two of the top freshmen in the league, Morgan Sabia and Alvin Abreu. Sabia, a 6-foot-8-inch forward, leads the league in 3-point shooting, hitting 3s at an astounding .482 clip in conference play. Abreu, who averages 12.5 points per game, is a threat to score from all over the floor and is also one of the AE’s best free-throw shooters.

Herrion believes that because his team is so young and inexperienced, getting off to a quick start is crucial for his team to believe they can win.

“I told our freshmen that they aren’t freshmen anymore and I won’t treat them like freshmen anymore,” Herrion said. “When you get to this time of the year, in a tournament situation, it’s one-and-done. You have to be ready to play hard and compete. You can’t take anything for granted, or else there’s no tomorrow.”

Hartford and UNH are scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Events Center.