WALTHAM, Mass. – It'll be a match-up of nationally-ranked division leaders when the Bentley University women's basketball team squares off with its counterparts from Adelphi University for the only time during the regular season Wednesday at 5:30 pm at Adelphi's Center for Recreation and Sport. A free webcast will be available at aupanthers.tv.

Both teams have won their first eight Northeast-10 Conference games this season and each received billing in the two Division II national polls released on Thursday. Bentley was 15th in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association rankings and 16th in the D2SIDA media poll, while Adelphi was 25th (WBCA) and 12th (D2SIDA).

Being the only meeting, the outcome could have a bearing on who hosts the Northeast-10 championship game in March, if they both advance and wind up with the same seeds.  Bentley leads the Northeast Division by four games in the loss column and Adelphi has a two-game advantage in the Southwest.

Bentley, 12-3 overall, will make the trek to Long Island following convincing wins over Holy Family, 103-66, and New Haven, 73-55, in its first two games of 2017. Adelphi, 13-2 overall, has strung together nine straight wins and is coming off a 63-25 thrashing to St. Michael's on Saturday.

Coach Barbara Stevens' Falcons have been the better shooting team so far (.436 overall, .345 3's, .746 free throws) while Adelphi forces over 19 turnovers a game. Both clubs have outscored their opponents by similar margins with Bentley's +11.7 seven-tenths better than the Panthers.

Two of the NE10's premier forwards will be on display in All-America Jen Gemma (Milton/ Fontbonne Academy), Bentley's two-time conference Player of the Year, and Panther senior Sierra Clark. Gemma, number two in Falcon history in career scoring, averages 18 points and 6.3 rebounds while Clark puts up 19.3 points and 10.3 rebounds a game.

The Bentley offense also features junior guards Lauren Green (Damascus, Md./Damascus HS) and Macchi Smith (Los Angeles, Calif./Windward School). Green (13.4) has 45 points in her last two games (despite sitting out both fourth quarters) and has made 12 of her last 18 three-pointers, raising her season accuracy rate to .457. Smith leads the team in steals (22) and assists (66) while averaging 9.9 points and 4.6 rebounds.

Six-foot-one Victoria Lux (Arundel, Maine/Thornton Academy) has also been an offensive threat while starting the last four games. She's made about 52 percent of her shots and put up 9.5 points and 7.5 rebounds a game.

In addition to Clark, Adelphi looks to senior forward Cali Balfour and junior guard Simone Hobdy for scoring. Balfour averages 16.7 points and seven rebounds, and Hobdy puts up about 10 points a game.

Bentley leads the all-time series, 10-5, but will  be looking for its first win over Adelphi since its national championship season of 2013-14.

Three straight home games follow Wednesday's contest, beginning Saturday afternoon against American International.