Links: Box Score

WALTHAM, Mass. – The No. 14 Bentley University Falcons turned 16 first-half turnovers by the Merrimack College women's basketball team into 16 points, which resulted in a 13-point halftime lead for the hosts that they never relinquished. Bentley went on to win Saturday's game, 68-49, from the Dana Center in Waltham, Mass.

The Basics
Score: #14 Bentley 68, Merrimack 49
Records: Merrimack (14-11, 10-10 NE10) | #14 Bentley (23-3, 17-3)
Location: Dana Center | Waltham, Mass.     

NE10 Postseason Outlook:
The five postseason qualifiers out of the Northeast Division have already been decided entering the final three games of the regular season. With the loss, the Warriors are locked into the fifth seed in next weekend's NE10 Championship and will travel to the fourth seed from the Southwest

1. Stonehill (22-2, 18-1)
2. Bentley (23-3, 17-3)
3. Saint Anselm (16-10, 12-7)
4. SNHU (15-10, 11-8)
5. Merrimack (14-11, 10-10)

Marquee Moments:

• The Falcons forced Merrimack into 16 first-half turnovers, which resulted in a 16-3 edge in points off turnovers and staked the hosts to a 13-point halftime advantage
• The Warriors only shot 35 percent for the game (16-45), including 3-of-15 from three-point land.

Rapid Recap

• Bentley hit a pair of triples, starting the day on an 8-2 run before the Warriors used a timeout at the 6:02 mark. From there, Merrimack's defense held Bentley scoreless over the next four minutes, allowing the Warriors to cut their deficit to one, 8-7
• The Falcons closed the final two minutes of the first on a 9-0 run to open a 17-7 advantage. Midway through the second, the Warriors had cut their deficit to six, 19-13, behind three points from freshman Mayson Kimball and a three-point play for junior Karlee Alves
• The next five-plus minutes belonged to the Falcons, with the hosts using an 11-4 run to expand their lead back to 13. That margin stood at the halftime buzzer, 32-19, through 20 mintues
• Junior Lindsay Werner and Alves combined to score all seven points during a 7-2 run that kept the Warriors within 12, 38-26, three minutes into the third quarter
• Bentley answered by scoring six unanswered to build an 18-point lead, which held until the 2:52 mark. The Warriors forced Bentley without a point over the remainder of the quarter, cutting into their deficit to make it a 51-37 game through three frames
• The Warriors could only muster 14 points in the final quarter, with Bentley's lead never falling below double figures

Notes and Notables

• The loss locks Merrimack into the fifth seed from the Northeast in next weekend's NE10 Championship. The Warriors will play an opening-round game on Friday, at the fourth seed from the Southwest Division
• Werner led Merrimack in scoring with 17 points, hitting her 60^th three-pointer of the season. She needs three more to set a new single-season program record
• Freshman Marissa Gattuso dished out a career-high five assists
• Five Falcons hit as many as three shots on the day, with three Bentley players in double figures led by 14 points for senior Lauren Green
• Bentley owned advantages in the paint (36-18) and points off turnovers (23-7)

Up Next
The Warriors celebrate Senior Night on Tuesday against Saint Michael's at 5:30 p.m. of Hammel Court. The careers of seniors Cecilia Reyes and Emily Stephens will be recognized as part of the pregame ceremony.