Bentley women’s basketball seeks fifth-straight league title with new-look rotation

Bentley women’s basketball has dominated the NE-10, taking the conference crown for the past four years

While there’s still plenty of season left, the Falcons appear poised for another crack at the hardware come postseason play despite a fully revamped rotation from last year’s NCAA Division II Elite Eight team. One key new face is Kayana Armbrister. Bentley women’s basketball rarely takes transfers, but Armbrister’s case represented an exception to the rule.

Beloved by her former coaches, the 6-foot-1 forward with academic drive and athleticism well above the average Northeast 10 Conference player was a “no-brainer” addition, in coach C White’s words. Midway through the 2025-26 campaign, the Hyde Park native is a major reason why the Falcons (9-2, 5-0 NE-10) rank as a favorite for a fifth-straight conference title. 

“It’s starting to click,” White said.

Bentley’s second-leading scorer and leading rebounder, Armbrister took on a leading role after two years at Division I programs. A Dexter Southfield High School graduate who started her high school career at Fenway, Armbrister redshirted as a freshman at Florida Atlantic and played a reserve role at Tennessee-Martin last year. 

Those programs, she said, felt “robotic.” Now, every time she walks into the Bentley women’s basketball team’s locker room at the Dana Center, she’s met with smiling faces and a room full of friends.

“Everyone acknowledges you,” she said. “It’s definitely the relationships people establish on and off the court.”

Finding alignment

The culture Armbrister alluded to is a point of pride for the program. It’s also why they don’t always entertain transfers. White and her staff believe in the long-term, holistic development of their players. Armbrister contacted White after leaving FAU, but it didn’t make sense at the time. A year later, it all aligned. Armbrister found the college basketball home she needed. The Falcons got a game-changing talent in time to fill the gap left by the departure of four multi-year starters. 

Senior guard Cassidy Yeomans was the only returning starter from last year’s NCAA Division II Elite Eight run. Senior guard Ciara Norman, senior forward Julia Elie and junior guard Niya Morgen all came off the bench, averaging at least 10 minutes per game.

Third on the team in scoring and an All-NE10 Second Team performer despite her sixth-player role last season, Morgen entered the starting lineup this winter and leads the Falcons in scoring at 15.3 points per game and minutes played. Newcomer Armbrister ranks second in scoring at 12.1 points per game and leads Bentley in rebounding. Elie (9.1 points, team-high 1.6 steals), Yeomans (5.8 points, team-high 3.0 assists) and sophomore guard Brennan Doran (5.8 points), a seldom-used reserve in her first season, round out the starting five. 

Promising freshman guard Cherish Bryant (7.1 points) occupies Morgen’s former role as a formidable bench scorer. The lone NE-10 team ranked in the most recent Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Division II poll at No. 22, the Falcons maintained their level of stellar play despite the new-look rotation. 

Entering the portal last year, Armbrister had expected to go to a school closer to home or back in Florida, where some of her family live. Early in high school, Armbrister wowed spectators with an unrivaled jumping ability. Now, her friends and family get to see her play again regularly for a team with championship aspirations. 

She’s thrilled White and the staff welcomed her. 

“She told me it would be a good spot for me and I feel like I’m thriving,” Armbrister said.

Editor’s note: Stats in the article as of Jan. 7