By LIAM O’BRIEN
Waltham Times Contributing Writer
When entering a road contest against a formidable opponent, the last thing a team wants to face from the jump is a full-court press.
The University of New Haven women’s basketball team immediately found itself in an unfortunate spot on Sunday afternoon at the Dana Athletic Center in Waltham, as Bentley University wasted no time applying stifling pressure on each person who touched the ball.
Riding this tenacious defensive approach, the Falcons jumped out to an instant 8-0 lead they would never relinquish, resulting in a 57-46 victory. Bentley did not allow a single field goal in the first five minutes of the game, placing the Chargers in an insurmountable hole.
“When we start off hot and aggressive defensively, it changes our offense,” Falcons head coach C White said. “When we get up in our press right off the bat, it just changes the game for us. It just gets everybody more fired up and involved. It’s a great way to start.”
The triumph marked the ninth in a row for Bentley, currently ranked fourth in the WBCA NCAA Division II women’s basketball coaches poll. The Falcons are now 13-1 with a 5-1 start in the Northeast-10 conference.
“We are a team of veterans who have played together for three or four years,” said graduate student captain Maggie Whitmore, who led the team with 15 points. “We just have trust in each other that every day we are going to show up and do what we do best collectively and individually. We saw that today.”
Bentley’s talent and chemistry were on full display in short order. A smooth Whitmore jumper off of the dribble to beat the buzzer gave the Falcons a 17-5 lead to conclude the first quarter. The South Portland native followed that up by knocking down a 3-pointer to cap off the second frame, handing Bentley a 13-point advantage heading into halftime.
The Chargers, who entered the contest with a 6-2 mark in the NE-10, crept back into the mix at the conclusion of the third quarter. However, Bentley rebounded behind the scintillating outside shooting ability of sophomore Niya Morgen. A local Swampscott native, Morgen entered the contest converting on an impressive 53% clip from 3-point land and her prowess was on full display in the fourth quarter. Morgen hit two clutch threes to begin the frame, invigorating the team and putting the game out of reach.
“We needed it,” White said. “[Morgen] lives in the gym. You are not going to be a good shooter unless you are in here every day shooting. She’s always in the gym. If she’s wide open, she is going to knock it down every time.”
The Bentley coaching staff enjoyed the afternoon in style, sporting light-up sneakers in honor of the Pride Game ceremonies which took place before the contest. The sneakers, gray with soles that flash between different colors, were originally used by White’s 8-year-old twins when they received the chance to be ball kids for a Boston Celtics game last spring. White’s children kept the soles on the all-green setting for the game at TD Garden, but when the idea for the Pride Game came around, the Bentley staff realized the sneakers could alternate between the colors of the rainbow and the decision was a no-brainer.
“It worked out perfectly,” White said.
Graduate student captain Brooke Obar said a few words to the crowd before tipoff to commemorate the event and the team rocked pride-inspired T-shirts in warmups as well.
The Falcons will look to keep the momentum rolling when they host St. Michael’s College on Wednesday evening.
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