LOWELL, Mass. -- Junior forward Elise Caira (Wakefield/Arlington Catholic HS) came within a rebound of a double-double and the Falcon bench provided 23 points and 11 rebounds as the Bentley University women's basketball team stayed undefeated with a 70-55 win over Bloomfield College in the opening round of the Valley Cup Classic at UMass-Lowell's Costello Athletic Center Saturday afternoon.
Bentley moved to 3-0 with the win, the Falcons' best start since the 2004-05 squad won its first four. Bloomfield, the first team to have a lead over Bentley this season, dropped to 0-2.
A series of runs helped Bentley seize the lead and twice open the game up. The first, a string of nine unanswered points erased the Deacons' final lead of the game, 15-14, and put the Falcons up by eight. Caira began it by converting a three-point play, senior post Dedra Pritchard (Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Jefferson Township HS) made a lay-up, junior guard Kim Brennan (Locust Valley, N.Y./Locust Valley HS) hit one of two free throws, and sophomore guard Katherine Goodwin (Goffstown, N.H./ Governors Academy) nailed a three-ball.
After five straight Bloomfield points cut the lead to three, Bentley used a 14-2 spurt to stretch the difference to 15, 37-22 late in the first half. Caira again launched the run with a traditional three-point play, sophomore Meghan Thomann (Andover/Andover HS) hit her third triple of the half, and sophomore post Shatasia Kearse (Framingham/Lincoln-Sudbury HS) netted the final six points.
On top by a dozen at the intermission, Bentley saw its advantage dwindle to four, 44-40, six minutes into the second half. A jumper by senior post Kelly Barrett (Middle Village, N.Y./Christ the King HS) ignited a 17-5 flurry that gave the Falcons their biggest lead of the day, 61-45 with 6:47 left. Brennan and Goodwin each had five points during the run and Kearse netted the final four.
The Deacons were back within nine with 2:44 left, but Brennan helped Bentley lock up the win with two assists and a basket during a game-ending 6-0 run.
Caira led the balanced Bentley scoring attack with 14 points, and also provided nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. Goodwin followed with 13 points and three steals, and Brennan finished with 10 points, six assists and zero turnovers.
Off the bench, Kearse (4-5 shooting) and Thomann (3-3 on threes) contributed 10 and nine points, respectively. The Falcon reserves totaled 23 points while Bloomfield received only four points off the bench.
Bentley shot 41 percent for the game and took exceptional care of the basketball, committing only 10 turnovers (half as many as the Deacons).
The game's top scorer was Bloomfield junior guard Regina Washington (New York, N.Y.), with 15 points.
The tournament will continue Sunday with Bentley facing Caldwell College at 1 pm.
