Bentley's Lauren Battista Leads Falcons to NCAA Title During Hall of Fame Career

Posted: Nov 24, 2020

Nearly seven years after concluding her brilliant career by leading the Falcons to an undefeated season and the 2014 NCAA Division II national championship, the awards continue for former Bentley University women’s basketball great Lauren Battista.

One of the most decorated student-athletes in Northeast-10 Conference history, Battista was selected as one of the conference’s top 40 individuals as the NE10 celebrates its 40th anniversary.

Battista, who was inducted into the Northeast-10 Hall of Fame in 2019, was the 2014 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Division II National Player of the Year as well as the Capital One Division II Academic All-America of the Year, regardless of sport. She was also recognized as the Honda Division II Women’s Athlete of the Year in 2014.

“Lauren had a storybook career,” said Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Coach and 1,000-game winner Barbara Stevens. “To say that her impact on our program was immense is a ridiculous understatement. Her accomplishments are legendary; however, it was her dedication to the team, her total unselfishness and her focus on achieving our team goals that stood out to her coaches and her teammates.

“Lauren led by example, always in the gym working to get better,” continued Stevens. “Her feel for the game, court awareness and overall basketball IQ were incredible, second to none. She was a true coach on the floor. She made the game look easy. In addition to reaching lofty heights on the court, Lauren did the same in the classroom. She was the true embodiment of the term ‘student-athlete’, the ultimate achiever. We were extremely fortunate to have Lauren in our basketball program for four years!”

Battista, who played on Bentley teams that had an astounding four-year record of 121-14, helped the Falcons to four Northeast-10 regular season champions, four NE10 tournament titles and three NCAA Division II East Regional crowns, in addition to the 35-0 national championship season.

Battista, who averaged a career-best 17.5 points as a senior, amassed 2,112 points, 874 rebounds, 366 assists and 175 steals as a Falcon with a lofty .543 field goal percentage. She ranks first in program history in games, games started, wins and field goals, and her career point total ranks number two on Bentley’s all-time list.

Battista was praised by Coach Stevens for her leadership on and off the court. Those feelings were backed up by one of her former teammates, Courtney Finn.

Finn, also an All-American on the national championship team and now an assistant athletics director at her alma mater, said, “Lauren was not only one of the greatest basketball players that I have had the opportunity to play with but also one of the greatest people. On the court, she motivated you to take your game to the next level and make not only you a better player but the team as a whole. When it counted the most, she always delivered. I am lucky enough to not only call her one of my teammates, but she still today is one of my great friends”

Battista’s honors, in addition to those mentioned previously in this story, included 2015 NCAA Today Top 10, Division II Commissioners’ Association Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year, top 30 finalist for the NCAA Woman of the Year, Capital One NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Academic All-America of the Year, Northeast-10 Woman of the Year, Northeast-10 Outstanding Female Scholar-Athlete, Women’s Division II Bulletin Player of the Year, Bentley’s Outstanding Female Senior Athlete, Edward J. Powers Award as Bentley’s premier senior scholar-athlete of the year, two-time Northeast-10 Player of the Year, three-time NE10 Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence award winner, three-time WBCA Division II All-America and three-time Capital One NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Academic All-America.

Battista, now an assistant coach at Princeton, has found success as a coach as well. Last year, in her first season with the Tigers, she helped the team to a 26-1 record, including a season-ending 22-game winning streak.

Lauren Battista Links of Note:

ABOUT THE NE10
Beginning its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 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.