Bentley Visits Providence College Thursday for Exhibition
WALTHAM, Mass. – Before the season-opener Nov. 12, Bentley University women's basketball coach C White will put her team to the test Thursday night with an exhibition game at Providence College. Tip-off at Alumni Hall is set for 7 pm.
The team that White puts on the floor against the Friars in her Bentley head coaching debut will bear little resemblance to the one that faced Le Moyne College on Mar. 1, 2020 in the team's final contest before the pandemic.
Not only has White moved over a chair after succeeding retired Hall of Famer Barbara Stevens at the helm but only five players remain on the roster with Bentley game experience. That group includes guards Kari Brekke (Appleton, Wis./Appleton North HS), Ella Thompson (Greenwood, Ind./ Center Grove HS), Kolleen Bouchard (Houlton, Maine/Houlton HS) and Hartlee Meier (Southington, Conn./Marianapolis Prep) as well as injured junior forward Bri Gillen (Lakeville/Bishop Feehan HS).
Brekke, a senior, and Thompson, the 2019-20 Northeast-10 Rookie of the Year, return as backcourt starters. Brekke averaged a team-best 12 points as a sophomore and Thompson followed with a 9.4 average.
Those two will likely be joined in Thursday's starting lineup by Bucknell transfer Autumn Ceppi (Bedford/Dana Hall School), sophomore Maggie Whitmore (South Portland, Maine/South Portland HS) and freshman Amanda Kabantu (Portland, Maine/Portland HS).
Ceppi, a six-footer, is Bentley's most experienced player as she played in 100 career games for the Bison and was named to the Patriot League All-Defensive Team last season.
White's rotation is also expected to include Bouchard, Meier and sophomore guards Janessa Gonzalez (Meriden, Conn./St. Paul Catholic HS) and Brooke Obar (North Yarmouth, Maine/Greely HS), along with freshman forward Kylie DuCharme (Wilmington/Wilmington HS). Freshman forward Maddie Watford (Billerica/Billerica HS) will also be vying for playing time.
In the preseason WBCA Division II coaches poll, Bentley was ranked 22nd overall. The Falcons were also number two in the Northeast-10 Northeast Division ranking.
Bentley will open the season at home against Carlow on Nov. 12 and will play its NE-10 opener five days later at Saint Anselm College.