WALTHAM, Mass. – It was the first game of the 2026-27 season, but the No. 11 Bentley women's basketball team already looks like it's in midseason form as the Falcons toppled Mercy, 75-58, in the Dana Athletics Center Monday evening.
Four Falcons scored in double figures, and Bentley (1-0) led by double figures for the game's final three quarters.
Brennan Doran led all players in scoring with 14 points, and she was nearly perfect shooting the ball. The junior shot 5-for-5 from the floor, including 2-for-2 from 3-point range, and she made two of her three free-throw attempts.
Sophomore
Ava Orlando scored 11 points, and she dished out a career-high six assists. Senior
Niya Morgen also scored 11 points, and sophomore
Cherish Bryant filled the stat sheet in 22 minutes off the bench. She finished the game with 10 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
Junior
Annie Kiernan made her first career start for Bentley. She answered the call by pulling down a game-high eight rebounds. Kiernan also scored nine points.
The Falcons and Mavericks were knotted up, 8-8, three minutes into the first quarter. That's when Morgen found a cutting Doran for an easy two points, sparking an 18-2 run for Bentley to close out the first quarter.
Bentley's lead reached 20 points, 39-19, after sophomore
Elliana Scalabrine stepped into a 3-pointer with three minutes left in the first half. The Falcons took a 41-26 lead into halftime.
Mercy cut Bentley's lead to 10 points, 50-40, six minutes into the third quarter. Bryant hit a jumper, and she quickly followed with a fastbreak layup off a Maverick turnover to keep the Falcon lead more comfortably in double figures, 54-40.
Bentley forced Mercy into 19 turnovers in all. The Mavericks shot 39.6-percent from the floor, while the Falcons shot 51.8-percent.
Bentley's next game is next week at Post, Nov. 18.
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