Bentley gets No. 2 seed in women’s NCAA East Regional Basketball Tournament

Bentley University’s women’s basketball team officially clinched the program’s 40th NCAA Division II Championship berth, the NCAA announced Sunday.

Bentley will be the No. 2 seed in the region when it begins to defend its 2025 NCAA East Regional title. The Falcons will take on No. 7 seed Mercy University in the opening round Friday, March 13, hosted by Southern Connecticut State University at its James Moore Field House in New Haven, Connecticut.

Southern Connecticut is the region’s top seed and host after beating Bentley in the Northeast 10 Championship game Sunday afternoon, 59-50. Bentley and Mercy went head-to-head in the Falcons’ 2025-26 season opener on Nov. 15, with Mercy winning a close one, 64-61.

The NCAA Division II women’s tourney determines the national champion and brings together the top programs from around the country in a single-elimination format. Teams qualify by either winning their conference championship, earning an automatic bid or receiving an at-large selection as Bentley did based on team performance during the season.

Bentley finished the 2025-26 season with impressive statistics, including a 14-2 conference record, an eight-game winning streak during the season and a national ranking in the WBCA Top 20.