Bentley to Host NCAA Div. II Women's Basketball East Regional for 5th Time in 6 Years; Will Face Saint Anselm Friday
WALTHAM, Mass. – Bentley University, after capturing the Northeast-10 Conference championship , has been named the host of the 2016 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball East Regional, which will be held this coming weekend. It'll be the fifth time in the last six years that the eight-team regional will be held at Bentley's Dana Center.
Bentley, 25-5, is the number one seed and will take on another Northeast-10 team, eighth-seeded Saint Anselm College (18-9), in the first round on Friday. The Falcons split with the Hawks this season with each team winning on its home court.
Bentley, which missed last year's championship, is one of three automatic qualifiers with the others being the Queens College (N.Y.), which captured the East Coast Conference, and Philadelphia University, the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference champion.
The at-large selections include Saint Anselm and American International College out of the NE-10, NYIT of the East Coast Conference and a pair of Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference teams, Holy Family University and Bloomfield College.
The other first-round pairings have second-seeded AIC (25-5) taking on number seven Bloomfield (24-7), third-seeded Philadelphia (25-6) meeting number six NYIT (24-8) and number four Queens (20-8) meeting the fifth seed, Holy Family (22-8).
The semifinals will be Saturday evening and the regional championship game will be Monday evening.
Bentley, which owns 12 regional titles since 1989, will be making its record 32nd appearance in the NCAA tournament in the event's 35-year history.
The winner of the Regional will advance to the Elite Eight in Sioux Falls, S.D. March 22-23. The national championship will be played in Indianapolis April 4 in conjunction with the Women's Final Four.
NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN'S BASKETBALL EAST REGIONAL
At Bentley University, Waltham, Mass.
QUARTERFINALS – FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016
#3 Philadelphia U. (25-6) vs. #6 NYIT (24-8)
#2 American International (25-5) vs. #7 Bloomfield (24-7)
#1 Bentley (25-5) vs. #8 Saint Anselm (18-9)
#4 Queens, N.Y. (20-8) vs. #5 Holy Family (22-8)
SEMIFINALS – SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016
#3-#6 winner vs. #2-#7 winner
#1-#8 winner vs. #4-#5 winner
CHAMPIONSHIP – MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2016
Winner advances to Elite Eight in Sioux Falls, S.D. Mar. 22-23; The National Championship will be played in Indianapolis, Ind. April 4