Jacqui Brugliera
Jacqui Brugliera

Brugliera Double-Double Powers #17 Bentley to 67-48 Win at Merrimack

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. -- Bentley University freshman forward Jacqui Brugliera (Fitchburg/ Wachusett Reg. HS) dominated early and finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds for her third straight double-double as the Falcons cruised to a 67-48 win over Merrimack College in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball Thursday night at the Volpe Center.

Bentley, ranked 17th in Division II and first in the NCAA Division II East Region, maintained its one-game lead in the conference standings over Assumption and Franklin Pierce while improving to 17-3 overall and 14-2 NE-10. Merrimack dropped to 9-10 overall and 7-8 NE-10 after suffering through a 0-for-17 night from three.

The first half was all Bentley as the Falcons more than doubled the Warriors, 40-19. With the freshman class combining for 30 points on 14 of 23 shooting, the visitors outshot Merrimack 55-26 percent and forced 10 turnovers, which were converted into nine points.

Brugliera had a dominating half, finishing with 16 points and eight rebounds. In fact, she scored her 10th point of the night about six-and-a-half minutes before Merrimack reached that number as a team and still had more points than the Warriors until a lay-up by senior guard Tiffany Colon (Lawrence) with a minute left in the half.

The first ten points for the four-time NE-10 Rookie of the Week came consecutively, finishing a 16-0 blitzing that put Bentley up 19-2 6:45 into the contest.

That run began with a lay-up from freshman forward Lauren Battista (North Easton/Oliver Ames HS). Senior guard Kim Brennan (Locust Valley, N.Y./Locust Valley HS) followed with a jumper just inside the three-point line, and junior forward Shatasia Kearse (Framingham/Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. HS) scored inside.

Brugliera took over from there, beginning with a top-of-the-key three-ball. She made one of two from the foul line and followed with three lay-ups, achieving her personal 10-0 run in a span of 2:40.

While Bentley was scoring the 16 unanswered points, Merrimack endured 13 straight possessions (0-for-8, 5 turnovers) with its side of the scoreboard stuck on two points.

Bentley's first-half lead peaked at 25, 36-11, after a lay-up by freshman guard Christiana Bakolas (Manchester, N.H./Central HS) with 4:11 left, and the differential ranged from 15 to a game-high 26 throughout the second half.

Brugliera's sixth double-double saw her make 9-of-17 from the floor. The team's other two freshmen followed her in the scoring column with Battista posting a 13-point, seven-rebound, five-assist, three-steal effort, and Bakolas coming off the bench for nine points. Goodwin led the Falcon veterans with eight points.

Sophomore forward Kelly Schatzlein (Tolland, Conn.) was the only Merrimack player to score in the first 12-plus minutes and finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.

Bentley outshot the Warriors 44-31 percent, with five three-pointers. The Falcons also had the edge in rebounds (42-40) and steals (10-6).

Bentley is back in action Saturday with a 1:30 home matinee against St. Michael's.

 

At North Andover, Mass. (Volpe Gym)

BENTLEY 67, MERRIMACK 48

BENTLEY (17-3, 14-2 NE10) -- Jacqui Brugliera 9-17 1-2 20; Lauren Battista 6-12 1-1 13; Christiana Bakolas 3-8 3-6 9; Katherine Goodwin 3-7 1-2 8; Meghan Thomann 2-2 0-0 6; Shatasia Kearse 2-5 2-2 6; Courtney Finn 1-1 0-0 3; Kim Brennan 1-6 0-0 2; Ashley Saia 0-0 0-0 0; Caralyn Hart 0-1 0-0 0; Kelsey Roberson 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 27-61 8-13 67.

MERRIMACK (9-10,7-8 NE10) -- Kelly Schatzlein 5-13 3-4 13; Gennifer Roy 4-15 3-3 11; Tiffany Colon 3-8 0-3 6; Valerie Avebe 2-2 1-3 5; Katie Ganser 2-7 0-0 4; Taneka Brown 0-7 3-4 3; Chelsea Shea 1-4 0-0 2; Sarah Benischek 1-4 0-0 2; Shelby LaBarge 1-1 0-0 2; Ruchel Lowe 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-61 10-17 48.

Halftime: B 40-19; 3-point goals--B 5-14 (Thomann 2-2; Finn 1-1; Goodwin 1-2; Brugliera 1-4; Brennan 0-2; Hart 0-1; Roberson 0-1; Battista 0-1), M 0-17 (Roy 0-6; Colon 0-2; Ganser 0-4; Brown 0-2; Shea 0-2; Benischek 0-1). Fouled out--None. Rebounds--B 42 (Brugliera 11), M 40 (Schatzlein 10). Assists--B 17 (Battista 5), M 11 (Benischek 4). Total fouls--B 15, M 11. Technical fouls-- Merrimack bench.