Highlights (Courtesy Pack Network       

WALTHAM, Mass. – Sophomore forward Jacqui Brugliera (Fitchburg/Wachusett Reg. HS) capped a game-ending 7-0 run with an offensive rebound and put-back with 6.8 seconds left to give Bentley University a hard-fought 54-52 win over Franklin Pierce University in the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball East Regional Saturday night at the Dana Center.

Bentley, which trailed 52-47 before junior co-captain Kelsey Roberson (Arlington/Arlington Catholic HS) sank a straightaway three with1:14 left, improved to 29-3 and advanced to the regional final for the second straight season and the 18th time in the last 25 years while giving coach Barbara Stevens her 850th career victory.

The Falcons, ranked fifth nationally, will host the team they opened the season against, Holy Family University, Monday at 7 pm for the right to advance to San Antonio for the Elite Eight. The sixth-seeded Tigers knocked off number two Southern Connecticut State in the other semi, 71-61. Ironically, the one-seed against the six-seed scenario is the same as it was a year ago when the Falcons rallied past Pace University, 64-61, for the regional title.

Bentley, which struggled offensively most of the night (29 percent shooting), had only one field goal in the previous five-and-a-half minutes before Roberson drained the three to bring the Falcons within two. Junior forward and Daktronics East Region Player of the Year Lauren Battista (North Easton/ Oliver Ames HS) came up with a steal on the inbound, and took it in for the game-tying lay-up with a minute straight up on the clock.

After Franklin Pierce All-Conference post Jewel White (Worcester) missed from in close, Roberson grabbed the rebound.  Her shot attempt at the other end was rejected by White with Bentley retaining possession with 11.9 seconds left and three seconds on the shot clock.

Bentley went inside to Battista, but her shot wouldn't ball. Brugliera corralled it, Bentley's 16th offensive board of the night, and put it back up to give the Falcons their first lead since the opening couple minutes of the second half.  Before making that shot, the six-footer had struggled through a 2-for-12 effort against the Raven defense.

 Franklin Pierce took a timeout with 3.6 showing on the clock and inbounded to sophomore guard Brittany Martelle (Brookfield, Conn.). She was forced into a long three that fell well short and the Falcons escaped just nine days after surviving FPU in double-overtime in the NE-10 semis.  In that one, junior forward Caleigh Crowell (Harwich/Worcester Academy) nailed a tying three for the Falcons with 6.8 seconds left in regulation.

Battista said "three of us stepped up in a matter of 30 seconds. It was a total team effort."

The Academic All-America® also credited the fact that "being in that situation a year ago and again a week ago against Franklin Pierce helped".  Bentley trailed Pace in last year's regional final by four before former guard Kim Brennan scored the final seven, and they also had the comeback effort against Pierce on Mar. 1.

Stevens praised her team following the win. "This was one of the poorest performances we've had offensively, but we stand here still alive. They weren't going to lose."

Bentley got out to a strong start, building a 17-9 lead midway through the first, with Crowell scoring the final five of a 9-0 run. Franklin Pierce quickly got back within four, and the two teams remained within three and six points of each other for the rest of the half with the Falcons going into the break up a pair, 30-28, after the Ravens scored the final four.

The Franklin Pierce run grew to 14-3 after the second half got underway, with a right-corner three by senior guard Katherine Goodwin (Goffstown, N.H./Governors Academy) the only Falcon points in a span of over nine minutes. That enabled the visitors to open a 38-33 lead.

Bentley tied the game twice after that, at 38-all and again at 42, before Pierce used a 7-3 spurt to go up by five, 49-45, with four minutes left. That grew to 52-47 when White made two free throws with 1:30 remaining.

Crowell and Battista topped the scoring list for Bentley, finishing with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Crowell nailed three triples off the bench, and Battista also accumulated four rebounds and three steals. Brugliera and junior guard Courtney Finn (Winthrop/Winthrop HS) each followed with seven in a game that points were at a premium throughout.

Senior guard Lekia Cowan (Hopedale) led Franklin Pierce with 15 points, but Battista and Brugliera helped to contain the Ravens' two senior All-Conference selections, White and Marielle Giroud (Martigny, Switzerland). They were a combined 4 of 16 from the floor and each scored only nine points.  Normally, the duo team for about 32 points,

Franklin Pierce, which finished the season at 20-10, outshot the Falcons 37-29 percent, but Bentley limited the Ravens to 21 percent in the second half and attempted 16 more shots overall. FPU spent most of the second half at the line (18 attempts to the Falcons' four) after having attempted none in the first 20 minutes and only 30 in the first seven halves it had played against Bentley this season.

Bentley was outrebounded, 41-36, but finished with a 13-5 advantage in second-chance points. The Falcons also took excellent care of the ball, with only 10 turnovers, nearly half the number Franklin Pierce had (19).

Monday's final will feature the region's two longest winning streaks, Bentley with 12 in a row and Holy Family with 13. The Falcons topped the Tigers 82-57 on opening day, but Stevens point out that "neither one of us in the same team now that we were then."