FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Legendary Bentley Coach Becomes Fifth Women's Coach to Reach 1,000-Win Plateau
WALTHAM, Mass. - With Bentley's 78-66 win over Adelphi tonight, Barbara Stevens became just the fifth women's basketball coach in NCAA history to reach 1,000 career wins. Stevens joins a 'who's who' of coaches, who have reached this milestone. She joins Tennessee's Pat Summitt, Stanford's Tara VanDerveer, UConn's Geno Auriemma, and North Carolina's Sylvia Hatchell who have all won at least 1,000 games in their distuinguished careers.
Bentley had five players score in double figures to win their ninth straight game. The Falcons were led by Victoria Lux, who posted a 'double-double' with 17 points and 16 rebounds.
Stevens, who has averaged just under 25 wins during her 40 years as a head coach, becomes the third women's coach to reach the benchmark this season. Both Auriemma and Hatchell also recorded their 1,000th career victories earlier this year. A member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, Stevens is currently in her 32nd year as the Bentley head coach.
Auriemma and Stevens enetered the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame together in 2016. “I have found her to be one of my favorite people in the profession,” Auriemma said. “The way she runs her program is impressive, but the most impressive aspect of her program is how consistently they compete for and win championships. I think, regardless of what division we are talking about, Barb is one of the best coaches in the country and I am so thrilled for her.”
The highlight of Stevens' career when her Falcons acheived perfection during the 2013-14 campaign, as they finished the season 35-0 and won the National Championship.
During her time in Waltham, Stevens has posted a career mark of 842-184, an average of 27 wins per season since she took over prior to the 1986-1987 season. 12 times her teams have posted 30 or more wins, and she has been named the WBCA National Division II Coach of the Year five times during her illustrious career. Stevens received the ultimate honor in April, 2006 when she was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame during ceremonies held in Knoxville, Tenn.
With the win over Adelphi in a rematch of last year's Northeast-10 Conference Championship game, Bentley improved to 17-1 overall and 11-1 in NE10 play. The Falcons, currently ranked fifth in the country, will remain home and host Southern Connecticut Saturday afternoon.
Women's Basketball Coaches with 1,000 Victories
Pat Summitt - 1,098
Tara VanDerveer - 1,023
Geno Auriemma - 1,007
Sylvia Hatchell - 1,003
Barbara Stevens - 1,000
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.