WALTHAM, Mass. – Following an amazing press-fueled second half comeback, the 33-1 Bentley University women's basketball team will be heading to Pittsburgh for the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
 
The Falcons, down 15 early in the third quarter, ran off 14 unanswered to draw within one and ignite a game-ending 42-18 run to post a 72-63 victory over third-seeded Holy Family University Monday night on Barbara Stevens Court in the packed Dana Center.
 
The Elite Eight berth will be the 15^th in program history and the first as head coach for C White.
 
"I'm just overwhelmed with unbelievable emotion" said White, who played in two as a Falcon player and coached in five under Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer Barbara Stevens.
 
Leading the way were NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player Kylie DuCharme (Wilmington/Wilmington HS) and All-Regional team members Amanda Kabantu (Portland, Maine/Portland HS) and junior guard Cassidy Yeomans (Marion/Tabor Academy).
 
The 14-0 burst, over a span of just under four minutes, was ignited by a baseline jumper by Yeomans. Kabantu stuck a three from the left corner, sophomore guard Niya Morgen (Swampscott/St. Mary's HS) finished a fast break lay-up, Yeomans sank a three on a third-chance opportunity, and DuCharme scored on a pair of fast breaks to make it a one-point game.
 
The flurry featured three steals, including two by DuCharme, and a block shot by the tournament MVP.
 
DuCharme deflected being selected as the MVP, saying "my team put me in position to be successful."
 
"We always talk about doing the little things," said Yeomans. "Our defense fuels our offense. The press was the key".
 
Following a 6-0 run by the Tigers to start the second half, Bentley ran off nine in a row to take its first lead since 2-0, 5 Graduate forward Maggie Whitmore (South Portland, Maine/South Portland HS) hit from mid-range, Kabantu drained a three from the right side, Morgan scored on a fast break and junior post Ciara Norman (Roebling, N.J./Life Center Academy) had an inside basket.
 
After junior guard Taylor Hinkle (Chalfont, Pa.) briefly returned the advantage to the visitors, lay-ups by Kabantu and DuCharme gave Bentley its first four-point lead of the game, 59-55 with 3:05 to play.
 
The lead hit five with 2:08 left when Morgen buried a three, following a DuCharme steal. That began a 6-0 spurt that extended the Falcon advantage to nine, 66-57, with 59.7 on the fourth-quarter clock.
 
Bentley closed out its 29^th consecutive win by making four free throws in the final 40 seconds, including three of four by Whitmore.
 
Most of the first 20+ minutes belonged to Holy Family, which entered halftime with a 38-26 lead, a .533 field goal percentage and six three-pointers in ten attempts. Meanwhile, the Falcons shot only .387 and were just one of ten from downtown.
 
White praised the Tigers following the game, saying "they are tough as nails. They are the toughest and deepest team we've faced. They are a fantastic team."
 
DuCharme had 15 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks and concluded the regional with 68 points, 30 boards, seven helpers, eight takeaways and three rejections.
 
Kabantu led four Falcons in double figures with 16 points and both Whitmore and Morgen finished with 13.
 
Hinkle, who was selected for the All-Regional team, was outstanding for Holy Family, with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
 
After struggling with its shooting in the first half, Bentley was an impressive 17 of 28 in the second half, including four of nine from deep.
 
Bentley committed only three turnovers, its fewest in a game since Jan. 1, 2017. Ironically, that was also against Holy Family.
 
On the other hand, the Falcons forced 15 Tiger turnovers and finished with an 18-3 advantage in points off turns. After the halftime break, points off turns were 16-0.
 
The Elite Eight will get underway Monday with seedings and opponents scheduled to be announced Tuesday.