WALTHAM, Mass. – The Bentley University women's basketball team will continue its drive for a 21^st Northeast-10 Conference championship Monday night when the Falcons host Franklin Pierce University. Fans who can't make it to the Dana Center for the 5:30 pm game can watch live on the NE10 NOW Digital Network.

Both teams went wire-to-wire in their first round wins, second-seeded Bentley 75-48 to oust New Haven and sixth-seeded Franklin Pierce 61-58 to upset Adelphi University on the road.

These two teams split during the regular season with each protecting their home court. Bentley won at home Dec. 4, 78-65, and the Ravens turned the table Feb. 19, 60-48, with their second-best defensive effort of the season.

Bentley, 35-3 all-time in NE10 quarterfinals, owns a 16-8 overall record and is 10-3 at home. Franklin Pierce, 3-8 in February, will come into the Dana at 12-14 overall and 7-7 on the road.

The two programs will be meeting in the conference championships for the first time since a five-year stretch from 2009-13 when they faced off annually. Bentley won the last three after the Ravens bested the Falcons in the 2009 and 2010 finals.

Second-year Bentley head coach C White puts up a starting lineup that includes one player from each class, including graduate student Autumn Ceppi (Bedford/Dana Hall School), the team's top scorer (14.2) and rebounder (7.2). She has produced 19.3 points and 9.0 rebounds a game over the last three and has been a force against Franklin Pierce, with 40 points and 29 rebounds in the two contests.

Also scoring in doubles for the Falcons are guards Kari Brekke (Appleton, Wis./Appleton North HS) and Ella Thompson (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS). Brekke, 14 of 24 from deep in the last five games, averages 11.2 points, and Thompson owns a 12.9 average and 57 three-pointers, third most in the NE10.

In the New Haven win, those three combined for 44 points and each of the team's 11 players who were dressed scored.

White's usual starting five also includes sophomore guard Maggie Whitmore (South Portland, Maine/South Portland HS) and freshman guard Amanda Kabantu (Portland, Maine/Portland HS). Whitmore averages 8.5 points and six rebounds, and Kabantu has a 7.0 scoring norm.

Bentley leads the NE10 in field goal percentage but hasn't shot well in the two games against Franklin Pierce, .418 and .297.

Franklin Pierce is led by senior forward Emma Carter, who is fourth in the NE10 in scoring at 17.7 a game. Against Bentley this season, she had 24 in the first meeting and only seven in the second.

The other double figure scorers for Mark Swazey are seniors Rylee Skinner (12.7) and Lisa Sulejmani (12.0). Sulejmani has 109 assists and her 30 three-balls rank second on the team to Carter's 50.

Franklin Pierce is third in the NE10 in scoring (65.5) and 14^th in points allowed (69.2).

In the other quarterfinals, Southern New Hampshire will be home against Southern Connecticut, Stonehill will be at Pace and Saint Anselm will make the trip to Le Moyne. The Bentley-Franklin Pierce winner will be paired against the Le Moyne-Saint Anselm victor on Thursday.

The conference championship game, due to the delay in the first round games, will now be played Sunday, Mar. 6.