WALTHAM, Mass. – Fans won't have to wait long for the first Bentley University athletic event of 2023. The women's basketball team will be at home New Year's Day for a 1:30 pm Northeast-10 Conference game against Franklin Pierce University. Fans unable to be at the Dana Center can watch the game from Barbara Stevens Court on the NE10 NOW digital network.

Bentley, following Thursday's 62-46 non-conference win at Molloy College, will bring records of 6-4 overall and 4-1 Northeast-10 into what will be just the third home game of the season for the Falcons. Entering Saturday's play, Coach C White's team is tied for second in the conference, a game back of first-place and undefeated Assumption University.

Franklin Pierce, which hasn't played in December 18 due to the holidays and the NCAA-mandated break, is 5-7 this season, including 2-4 NE10. The Ravens are 5-1 when scoring at least 60 points and 0-6 when held under that mark.

In the Molloy win, Bentley used a advantages of 9-2 three-pointers, 13-6 free throws and 50-38 rebounds to offset a difficult shooting performance and end a two-game slide. The Falcons limited the Lions to 32 percent shooting and only two treys in 14 attempts.

Junior forward Maggie Whitmore (South Portland, Maine/South Portland HS) and senior guard Ella Thompson (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS) each scored 11 points against the Lions and graduate guard Kati Brekke (Appleton, Wis./Appleton North HS) buried three triples for ten points.

Those three are also Bentley's top scorers for the season with Whitmore averaging 11.0, Brekke 10.5 and Thompson 10.3. Whitmore and Thompson are the top two rebounders, combining for 12 a game, and Brekke is a 44 percent shooter from three-point land.

Franklin Pierce is led by junior forward Ines Gimenez Monserrat, a 15.3 point-per-game scorer who also has a team-best 72 rebounds and 42 assists. She had four 20-point scoring games in November but saw her production tale off to 10.6 in December.

Offense for the Ravens also includes 10.6 per game from six-one freshman Sara Macary, 8.7 from freshman guard Kenzie Sirowich and 7.3 from freshman guard Leana Heitmann.

The Ravens, who turn the ball over an average of 20 times a game, are 11^th in the conference in both scoring (58.5) and scoring defense (66.4).

 Bentley, 40-10 all-time against Franklin Pierce, has won ten of the last 11 contests between the two, including 63-52 in the 2022 NE10 quarterfinals. That one featured a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double by Whitmore.

Next week, the Falcons will be looking at two road games, Wednesday at Saint Rose and Jan. 7 at American International.