WALTHAM, Mass. – With senior forward Kylie DuCharme (Wilmington/Wilmington HS) scoring a career-best 25 points for the second straight night, the Bentley University women's basketball team won its third battle of the season against Saint Anselm College. The 60-55 victory, which was the 100^th career W for fifth-year head coach C White, punched the Falcons' ticket for Monday's regional final.
 
Bentley, 32-1 and the third-ranked team in Division II, extended its winning streak to 28 games and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2016 and the 22^nd time overall. The Falcons will host Holy Family University, a 69-55 winner over reigning regional champion Daemen University, Monday at 7 pm, with a trip to the Elite Eight in Pittsburgh on the line.
 
DuCharme had her second straight huge game, complementing her game-high point total with 14 rebounds, evenly split at each end of the court, and three steals. She also played strong defense on Saint Anselm senior post Melanie Hoyt (Stamford, N.Y.), the Northeast-10 Player of the Year.
 
Bentley, which was looking at an eight-point deficit with two-and-a-half minutes left in the first half, closed to within two at intermission, 29-27, following an 8-2 run. DuCharme had six of the eight, with all the points coming in the paint.
 
After the Hawks went back in front by a deuce, White's squad closed out the third with a 14-7 surge to go up five, 44-39, Sophomore guard Niya Morgen (Swampscott/St. Mary's HS) tied the game following a feed rom DuCharme, and DuCharme put Bentley in front to stay, 34-32, with two free throws with 4:08 on the clock.
 
Junior point guard and co-captain Cassidy Yeomans (Marion/Tabor Academy) was a factor during that span with a three-pointer from the left wing, one of two free throws with 45.2 to play and a buzzer-beating jumper following an offensive rebound.
 
"To win takes maturity, poise and great leadership, like we got from Cass," said White.
 
A DuCharme-fueled 9-2 run during the first four minutes of the fourth pushed the Falcon advantage to nine, 53-44, with 6:24 remaining. She had a steal, a banked-in three, a driving lay-up and a 17-foot jumper.
 
Saint Anselm, the number four seed, got back within two, 55-53, with 30.2 seconds left following five straight points by junior guard Tatum Forbes (Pawtucket, R.I.).
 
Yeomans was fouled with 22.6 seconds left and sank both to push the lead back to four. Hoyt answered with a basket with 11.8 remaining, but the Falcons were able to lock up their 108^th all-time NCAA tournament win with two free throws by Whitmore and one of two from Yeomans in the waning seconds.
 
Yeomans praised the defense after the game. "Defense was a big key for us. We kept getting stops (26 second half points for the Hawks) and keeping them off the line."
                Morgen was the only Falcon other than DuCharme to score in doubles as she provided 11, along with three takeaways, off the bench. Yeomans had nine points and six rebounds, and graduate guard Brooke Obar (North Yarmouth, Maine/Greely HS) dropped in a pair of threes on her way to eight points.
 
Hoyt led Saint Anselm (18-10) with 18 points, including 12 in the first half, and 13 rebounds. Tatum scored nine before fouling out late.
 
Saint Anselm had the shooting advantage, 39-33 percent, but Bentley was able to dominate at the line, making 18 of 26. DuCharme attempted ten from the stripe, four more than the Hawks as a team.
 
The Falcons also took excellent cate of the ball with only six turns, and finished with a 17-4 advantage in points off.
 
Bentley's three wins of the season against the Hawks were decided by a total of 12 points.
 
White now has a 100-25 record during her four on-the-court seasons, including 18-4 in postseason games.
 
When asked postgame about the milestone, White said "I didn't know until I got to the locker room and they doused me with water and gave me a ball."
 
Bentley and Holy Family met previously on Dec. 20 with the Falcons earning a 62-57 win.