FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Falcons Honor Longtime Coach with Court Dedication on Saturday.
MANSFIELD, Mass. - Since her arrival to Bentley in 1986, Barbara Stevens' teams have grown accustomed to winning games and cutting down nets. As part of a postgame ceremony following Saturday's contest with New Haven, Stevens' legacy was permanently cemented at the Dana Center in Waltham, Mass., when the Falcons dedicated the court to her, officially crowning the playing surface Barbara Stevens Court.
The fourth-winningest women's basketball coach in NCAA history, Stevens has led Bentley to a phenomenal mark of 854-187 (.820) - as of the start of 2018-19 - since taking over the helm for the Falcons. She has earned her 700th, 800th, 900th and historic 1,000th career wins as a head coach at Bentley, while racking up 11 NCAA regional championships. She has averaged nearly 25 wins in her 40-plus years as a collegiate head coach.
The highlight of Stevens' career came in 2014, when her Bentley team went a perfect 35-0 on its way to winning the NCAA Division II national championship. She is a five-time Russell Athletic/WBCA Division II National Coach of the Year and entering the 2018-19 season, has led Bentley to seasons of at least 26 wins in seven of the last eight years.
Stevens was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. Prior to Bentley, she coached at Clark (1977-83) and UMass (1983-86). Before the ceremony, Bentley earned a 50-42 home win against New Haven in Northeast 10 Conference play.
What a day. Thank you to all, especially our alumni, who came to celebrate yesterday as the Barbara Stevens Court was officially unveiled! An incredible honor for an extraordinary person and coach! pic.twitter.com/pk4Te6z6AV
— Bentley W Basketball (@BentleyWBball) January 21, 2019
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