WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior forward Maggie Whitmore (South Portland, Maine/South Portland HS) came off the bench for 16 points and junior guard Amanda Kabantu (Portland, Maine/Portland HS) added a season-high 13 as Bentley University, the number 14 team in the latest WBCA Division II coaches poll, posted a come-from-behind 55-47 win over Molloy University in non-conference women's basketball Saturday afternoon on Barbara Stevens Court.

On a day that Bentley celebrated the induction of the 1989-93 teams into the Northeast-10 Hall of Fame, the Falcons outscored the Lions 26-13 over the final 16 minutes, including 12-5 in the fourth quarter, to improve to 8-1 on the season.

Bentley, down five near the midpoint of the third, used an 11-2 spurt to erase the deficit and go up 40-36. Graduate guard Ella Thompson (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS) scored six with a three-ball and a traditional three-point play., and sophomore post Julia Elie (Rockland/Rockland HS) netted the other five, including two on fast-break lay-ups.

Coach C White's team scored the first six points of the second half and held Molloy scoreless over the first five-plus minutes to extend its least to seven, 49-42. Whitmore scored on a lay-up, Elie sank two free throws and senior guard Brooke Obar (North Yarmouth, Maine/Greely HS) hit a mid-range jumper.

Molloy (3-7) closed to within four on a step-back three-pointer by sophomore guard Janel Moore (Spring Valley, N.Y.) with 4:36 left, but the Falcon D yielded only one more basket the rest of the way. Meanwhile, Obar buried a three, Kabantu knocked down a pair from the line and sophomore guard Cassidy Yeomans (Marion/Tabor Academy) added another free throw during a game-closing 6-2 spurt.

Bentley led 17-15 following the opening quarter, due in large part to eight points from Kabantu. Molloy, which shot 55 percent in the opening half, held the Falcons to six second-quarter points and took a 27-23 advantage into the break.

Whitmore, who scored 11 of her 16 in the second half, made six of 11 shots, including three of five from deep, and also had six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Kabantu, in addition to 13 points, collected three offensive rebounds.

Elie followed with nine points, seven rebounds and four steals, and all seven players who saw action had at least two points, one rebound and one assist.

Moore led Molloy with 12 points.

Bentley shot only .345 overall, but had the advantage in three-pointers (7-2), rebounds (35-27), steals (7-4) and second-chance points (11-4).

The Falcons' five-game homestand continues Monday when the Falcons close out the 2023 portion of the schedule with a 4:30 pm game against 10-1 Holy Family University.