Falcons Outscored Opponents by an Average of 21.6 Points Per Game in 2013-14.
"On This Date" in 2014, the Bentley women's basketball team completed a perfect 35-0 season on route to winning the program's first-ever NCAA title – and adding the first national championship trophy to the resume of legendary head coach Barbara Stevens.
Facing a deficit in the final three minutes of the game, the Falcons ended with a press-fueled 19-5 run to beat West Texas A&M by a 73-65 margin at the Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pa. Courtney Finn, a graduate student, scored a game-high 21 points (12-of-12 FT) to lead Bentley.
It was a high-powered Bentley team that season, led by Lauren Battista – the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II National Player of the Year. Battista averaged 17.4 points per game that season, ending her Falcons' career with 2,112 points, the second-most in program history.
Last June, both the 2013-14 Bentley women's basketball team and Lauren Battista were inducted into the NE10 Hall of Fame for their outstanding accomplishments. The senior class of that national championship team was a remarkable 124-11 (0.919) in four seasons playing for Stevens.
Bentley became just the second NE10 women's basketball team in league history to win an NCAA title – with Southern Connecticut being crowned national champions in 2006-07.
The undefeated national championship team is the highlight of a Hall of Fame career for Stevens, who is one of only six head coaches in the history of NCAA women's basketball (division-wide) to amass 1,000 career victories. Her career record stands at 1,058-291 (0.784), while her Bentley record is 901-200 (0.818) in 34 seasons in Waltham.
ABOUT THE NE10
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 student-athletes compete in conference championships, 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.
