Senior Mary Louise Dixon led the Skyhawks with 15 points, seven rebounds and two assists. (PHOTO BY SportsPix) |
Finn and Gemma combine for 32 to lead Falcons to fourth-straight regional final
WALTHAM, Mass. (March 15, 2014) – Top-seeded and host Bentley University, ranked No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports Division II poll, broke away down the stretch to claim a 79-63 victory over fourth-seeded Stonehill College in semifinal round action of the 2014 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament East Regional at the Dana Athletic Center tonight.
Bentley (31-0, 21-0 NE-10) advances to the East Regional championship game for the fourth straight year where it will face third-seeded LIU Post (24-6, 18-2 ECC) on Monday night at 7 p.m. The Pioneers advanced with an 85-83 triumph over second-seeded Adelphi University (23-8, 14-6 NE-10) in tonight's first semifinal. Stonehill wraps up its season with a 19-10 record overall, making its 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, including a 14-7 clip in the Northeast-10.
Post grad Courtney Finn (Winthrop, Mass./Winthrop) and freshman Jen Gemma (Milton, Mass./Fontbonne Academy) combined for 32 points as the duo both scored a game-high 16 points. Finn shot 4-for-6 from the field, including 1-for-3 from three-point range, while converting all seven free-throw attempts to go with five rebounds and two assists. Gemma made 7-of-11 shots from the field off the bench with five boards. Senior Lauren Battista (North Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames) added 15 points, three boards and three assists, while classmate Caleigh Crowell (Harwich, Mass./Worcester Academy) rounded out the Falcons double-figure scorers with 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds, a blocked shot and two steals.
Junior Tori Faieta scored 12 points to go with three rebounds and two blocked shots in 17 minutes of play. (PHOTO BY SportsPix) |
Senior Mary Louise Dixon (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) led Stonehill with 15 points in her final collegiate game, shooting 6-for-17 from the field, including 2-for-8 from three-point range, to go with a team-high seven rebounds and two assists. Sophomore Shannon Brown (Las Vegas, Nev./Centennial) rounded out a strong postseason stretch with 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting, connecting on her lone three-pointer, with four boards. Junior Tori Faieta (Lynn, Mass./Saint Mary's) scored 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting in just 17 minutes of play with three boards and two blocked shots. Senior Abbey Lalime (Orleans, Vt./Lake Region Union) matched her career high with nine points by making all four shots from the field, including a three, in 13 bench minutes.
Bentley shot slightly better at 47.4-percent (27-for-57) from the field, including 50% (13-26) in the opening half, hitting just 5-of-17 (29.4%) three-pointers. The Falcons enjoyed an overwhelming advantage at the free-throw line, outscoring Stonehill 20-3 on 24 attempts (83.3%) compared to seven (42.9%) for the visitors. Bentley also held a 37-32 rebounding edge, resulting in a 12-7 margin for second chance points, and outscored Stonehill 26-11 in points off turnovers. Stonehill finished shooting 45% (27-60) from the field, including 6-for-19 (31.6%) from beyond the arc.
Bentley held a five point halftime lead (38-33) and extended its advantage to 11 (48-37) after two Finn free-throws with 14:45 to play. Stonehill closed the gap to five (50-45) after a Brown layup with 12:58 on the clock. Pelletier and Lalime both drained three pointers during that stretch. The Skyhawks trimmed the deficit to four (54-50) with a three point play from Dixon with 10:27 to go. Stonehill had four chances to pull within a possession during a three minute spell for the Falcons without a basket.
Gemma snapped the modest drought with a layup that sparked six straight points, four from her, that restored Bentley's double-digit lead (61-50) after a Finn layup with 7:07 on the clock. Stonehill traded baskets with the hosts and was down nine (68-59) after a three-pointer from senior Asia Ewing (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) with 4:46 left, but Bentley scored the next eight to seal the victory and a 17 point advantage (76-59) after a Battista triple with 1:51 to go.
Stonehill stormed out of the gates with a 12-6 lead at the first media timeout after a Brown three-pointer. The Skyhawks lead was still six (14-8) with a Faieta layup five minutes in, when Bentley closed within one (14-13) with a Crowell three-pointer a minute later. Stonehill reclaimed a five point cushion (18-13) after a Faieta basket with 11:58 to play in the half. The Skyhawks lead was still four (20-16) on a Lalime jumper with 11:26 remaining when Bentley reeled off a 16-2 run to take a ten point lead (32-22) after senior Jacqui Brugliera (Fitchburg, Mass./Wachusett Regional) with 5:56 left in the half.
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