Falcons Win Third Straight NE10 Championship
WALTHAM, MASS – For the third consecutive year and the 23rd time in program history, the Bentley Falcons are the Northeast-10 Conference Women's Basketball Champions. The championship was Bentley's 23rd all-time and ninth since 2011. The three-peat is the first in NE10 basketball since the Falcons had a four-year run from 2011-14.
Coach C White's Falcons, who entered the tourney as the number one seed and regular season champions, claimed their latest title Sunday with a tense 64-49 victory over six-seeded Southern Connecticut State University at home in the Dana Center. Bentley will receive the automatic berth to the NCAA Division II East Regional and will find out where and who they'll play next during the NCAA Selection Show tonight at 10:30 pm (NCAA.com).
Sophomore forward Ciara Norman, whose 15 bench points led the game today, was named the championship's Most Outstanding Player. She also had three rebounds in the final. Norman scored double digits in the semifinal victory over Franklin Pierce, and had six points with five rebounds in the quarterfinals.
Norman was joined on the All-Championship team by junior guard Amanda Kabantu and junior forward Kylie DuCharme. Kabantu scored 10 points, including eight in the second half when Bentley started taking control of the game. DuCharme held down the post with 11 points, nine rebounds, and two steals in the Championship game, and had a double-double in the quarterfinal victory over AIC.
Bentley never had the lead in a first half that ended all even at 26 following a 9-4 closing burst. That spurt included three-pointers by freshman guard Niya Morgen and DuCharme.
After six lead changes in the first six-and-a-half minutes of the third, Bentley put together eight straight points and went into the final stanza up four, 44-40. Two free throws by Morgen evened the game at 38, before Norman scored on a drive to give her team the lead for good. Morgen had a fast-break lay-in after a steal and senior guard Brooke Obar hit a pair from the stripe.
Coach C White's squad opened the fourth with another Norman inside basket and a three from the right side by Obar. That made it a 49-40 advantage with eight minutes to play.
After the Owls drew to within four, 53-49, with 4:18 to play, Bentley pitched a shutout the rest of the way. Southern Connecticut misfired on its final five shots and committed three turnovers down the stretch.
Meanwhile, the Falcons scored the final 11, including a right-wing three and six free throws by Ella Thompson. The closing run also included a driving lay-up by sophomore guard Cassidy Yeomans that made it a nine-point differential, 58-49, with 2:08 to play.
Norman headed a list of five Falcons who scored at least nine points. DuCharme finished with 11 points and nine rebounds, Kabantu followed with ten and Morgen had nine without missing a shot. Thompson, in addition to nine points, had three assists.
Senior guard Jillian Martin led Southern Connecticut (19-13) with 12 points.
Bentley had a slight edge in field goal percentage (.413-391) but used a significant advantage in rebounds (31-23), free throws (22-8), points in the paint (30-20) and points off turnovers (15-8) to claim the championship and its fifth consecutive win.
For Coach White, it was her 15th with Bentley as a player, assistant and head coach, with her teams now 11-0 in NE10 postseason games. The title was the third for Thompson, senior forward Maggie Whitmore, DuCharme, Obar and Kabantu.
Bentley (26-5), which was playing in its 33rd championship game, improved to 3-0 against SCSU this season, did not lose a home game after February 7, and will play in their 38th NCAA Tournament.
The NCAA East Regional will get underway on Friday March 15.
-Recap provided by Bentley athletic communications-
Elite 24 Award:
Hope Fox, Southern Connecticut
All-Championship Team
Ciara Norman, Bentley *
Kylie DuCharme, Bentley
Amanda Kabantu, Bentley
Mackenzie Helms, Southern Connecticut
Anna Badosa Soler, Franklin Pierce
*Most Outstanding Player
NE10 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
First Round – Friday, March 1st:
Game 1: #5 Franklin Pierce 65, #12 Saint Michael's 63
Game 2: #6 Southern Connecticut 60, #11 New Haven 44
Game 3: #7 Pace 55, #10 Adelphi 46
Game 4: #8 American International 64, #9 Saint Anselm 56
Quarterfinals – Sunday, March 3rd:
Game 5: #8 American International 61, #1 Bentley 73
Game 6: #7 Pace 54, #2 Assumption 55
Game 7: #6 Southern Connecticut 58, #3 Saint Rose 53
Game 8: #5 Franklin Pierce 78, Southern New Hampshire 67
Semifinals – Thursday, March 7th (at highest remaining seeds):
Game 9: No. 1 Bentley 66, No. 5 Franklin Pierce 57
Game 10: No. 2 Assumption 47, No. 6 Southern Connecticut State 60
Championship – Sunday, March 10th (at highest remaining seed):
Game 11: No. 1 Bentley 64, No. 6 Southern Connecticut State 49
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 12 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.
