WALTHAM, Mass. – A berth in Sunday's Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball championship game will be on the line when fourth-seeded Bentley University takes on eighth-seeded Pace University at home Thursday night in a conference semifinal game. Tip-off from Barbara Stevens Court is set for 6 pm and the game will be streamed over the NE10NOW digital network.

Regardless of the outcome, the winner of the other semifinal, second-seeded Assumption University against number three Southern New Hampshire, will host the final as that team would be the highest remaining seed.

The defending champion Falcons, who are in the semifinals for the 37^th time in 40 years, have reached the title game 30 times. Meanwhile, Pace has only advanced to the championship game once, in 2006.

Bentley (19-9) and Pace (14-15) met twice during the regular season with each winning a low-scoring game on the other's home court.  The Falcons won in Pleasantville, N.Y. on December 6, 55-42, and the Setters turned the tables in Waltham February 11, 49-48.

In the first two rounds of the championships, Bentley used strong second halves to gain wins over 13^th-seeded St. Michael's College, 59-49, and 12^th-seeded Franklin Pierce, 70-54. Coach C White's pulled away from the Purple Knights with a 38-13 second half and outscored the Ravens 42-25 after intermission.

Eighth-seeded Pace, after a first-round win over Saint Anselm (60-48), upset the top-seeded Le Moyne Dolphins in the quarters on Sunday, 49-47 in overtime. In the two wins, the Setters limited their opponents to 31 percent shooting, including only four three-pointers in 19 attempts.

The victory over Franklin Pierce completed a 7-1 month of February for the Falcons (with the only loss coming against Pace). During the month, Bentley limited its opponents to 48.1 points, a .381 field goal percentage and only 2.8 three-pointers a game.

Bentley, one W away from its first 20-win season since 2019 and the 34^th in program history, been going with a lineup that includes senior Ella Thompson (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS), junior Maggie Whitmore (South Portland, Maine/South Portland HS), sophomore Amanda Kabantu (Portland, Maine/Portland HS) and a pair of freshmen, Ciara Norman (Roebling, N.J./Life Center Academy) and Cassidy Yeomans (Marion/Tabor Academy), in recent games.

Four of the five were recognized on Tuesday when the All-Northeast-10 teams were announced. Whitmore was voted to the second team, Thompson was on the third team, Kabantu made the All-Defensive Team and Norman was on the All-Rookie Team.

Whitmore leads the Falcons in a number of statistical categories, including scoring (12.3), rebounds (6.8) and assists (70). She was outstanding against Franklin Pierce with 23 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. Whitmore has moved into the NCAA rankings in free throw percentage with her .922 accuracy mark tied for third best.

Thompson averaged 12.9 points in February, raising her season norm to 10.8, and made 20 of 42 three-pointers. Graduate guard Kari Brekke (Appleton, Wis./Appleton North HS) is third on the scoring list at 8.4 a game. Since missing a few games with injuries, the 42 percent shooter from downtown has been coming off the bench.

Norman and six-two classmate Julia Elie (Rockland/Rockland HS) share most of the playing time in the post with Norman averaging 7.8 points and Elie 5.2. Elie has put up back-to-back 12-point games in the postseason while making 11 of 16 shots.

Pace, which captured the 2022 NCAA Division II East Regional championship from out of the seventh seed, has won six of its last seven games. That followed an eight-game stretch from January 10-February 1 in which the Setters lost seven times.

The top scorers for coach Carrie Seymour's team are graduate guard Lauren Hackett and sophomore forward Arianna Stockinger, with averages of 9.9 and 9.2 respectively. Hackett has 51 three-pointers and is among the conference assist leaders (111). Stockinger is second on the team in blocks with 25.

Six-foot sophomore Tower Lorde has a .563 field goal percentage and averages 8.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals. In the first two rounds, she's led the Setters with 14 points and 11.5 rebounds a game.

Bentley leads the all-time series with the Setters 33-8 after winning 11 of the last 12 meetings. The two programs have been in the NE10's twice previously with the Falcons winning both, 67-60 in 2006 and 70-62 in 2018.