WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior forward Maggie Whitmore (South Portland, Maine/South Portland HS) scored 17, pushing her career total to 998, and collected nine rebounds as top-seeded Bentley University posted a 73-61 win over number eight American International College in the quarterfinals of the Northeast-10 Conference Women's Basketball Championships Sunday afternoon on the Dana Center's Barbara Stevens Court.

Bentley, two-time defending Northeast-10 champions, improved to 24-5 overall and advanced to the conference semifinals for the 38^th time in 41 years. The Falcons, who were 22^nd in last week's WBCA Division II coaches poll, will host fifth-seeded Franklin Pierce on Thursday at 6 pm for the right to play in next Sunday's championship game.

Following a slow start, Bentley took a 36-27 lead into the halftime break after outscoring the Yellow Jackets 25-15 in the second. Whitmore finished the half with 11, including nine in the second quarter.

The Falcon first half featured runs of 9-0, 7-0  and 14-3. Whitmore scored the final four of the 9-0, both on elbow jumpers, and the 7-0 included two baskets from junior forward Kylie DuCharme (Wilmington/Wilmington HS).

The 14-3, which made it a 36-24 Falcon advantage, included six by freshman guard Niya Morgen (Swampscott/St. Mary's HS) and five from Whitmore.

After eight straight by the Yellow Jackets (15-15) cut the Falcon advantage to two, 40-38, with just under seven left in the third, Bentley responded with an 8-0 run of their own to return the difference to ten. DuCharme hit two free throws, Whitmore scored on a drive, sophomore post Ciara Norman (Roebling, N.J./Life Center Academy) hit a jumper in the paint and junior guard Amanda Kabantu (Portland, Maine/Portland HS) made two from the charity stripe.

Bentley closed out the quarter with another surge, this one 8-2 to send the two teams to the benches with the home team up 12, 56-44. That included a pair of inside baskets from DuCharme and two free throws apiece from Morgen and Whitmore.

AIC closed to within six a couple times in the fourth before Bentley put the game out of reach with a 6-1 spurt that included a three-ball from graduate guard Ella Thompson (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS).

Joining Whitmore in doubles was DuCharme and sophomore guard Cassidy Yeomans (Marion/Tabor Academy), with 12 and 11 points, respectively. DuCharme also had ten rebounds for her tenth double-double and Yeomans had five assists in 29 turnover-free minutes.

Graduate student Briana Lee (Jersey City, N.J.) led AIC with 25 points, including 19 in the second half.

Bentley outshot AIC 44-38 percent overall and 54-43 percent in the middle two quarters. The Falcons dominated the boards, 37-22, and had a 21-17 free throw advantage.

In the other games, top-seeded Assumption rallied late for a 55-54 win over Pace, sixth-seeded Southern Connecticut upended Saint Rose 58-53, and Franklin Pierce won its ninth straight, 78-67 at Southern New Hampshire.