NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Despite three Mavericks scoring in double figures, the No. 7 seeded Mercy University Women's Basketball Team dropped a 74-47 decision to No. 2 seeded Bentley University in the First Round of the 2026 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship on Friday afternoon at James Moore Fieldhouse.
The Mavericks (22-8) see their season end in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years. Mercy falls to the defending East Region Champion Falcons (23-4) after defeating them on November 15th. The Mavericks end the season with their most wins since 1985 and their third NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. Mercy won a share of their first-ever ECC Regular Season Championship and won a program-record 15 ECC games. Bentley will face Daemen in the Second Round tomorrow at 5 p.m. at Southern Connecticut State.
The game began with Mercy taking an early lead thanks to junior Amani Abuhatab's (West Haven, Conn./West Haven) jumper at 8:40. However, Bentley responded quickly with Niya Morgen's layup and subsequent 3-pointer, establishing their presence on the court. Morgen continued to be a significant force, contributing another 3-pointer and a layup, pushing Bentley ahead 12-2 by 5:33. A Julia Elie layup gave the Falcons a 21-2 lead with 2:57 left in the quarter. Junior Grace Lesko (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) added a layup for Mercy at 2:47, but Bentley's offensive dominance was clear. A late 3-pointer by junior Molly Boek (Saugerties, N.Y./Saugerties), assisted by senior Kyla Nembach (Lynbrook, N.Y./Lynbrook), cut the Falcons' lead to 25-7 after the first quarter.
Bentley dominated the second quarter, outscoring the Mavericks 24-9. Mercy scored the first four points of the second quarter to make it 25-11 at the 8:36 mark after a sophomore Morgan Miller (Branford, Conn./Sacred Heart Academy) free throw. The Falcons ended the half on a 24-5 run to take a 49-16 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, Lesko contributed significantly with a layup and two free throws early, reducing Bentley's lead to 49-20. Senior Angelina Barrera (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) capitalized on a defensive rebound to score a layup at 6:13, continuing her scoring run and shrinking the gap to 51-27. A Lesko layup later made it 51-29 at the 5:26 mark, forcing a Bentley timeout after Mercy started the quarter on a 13-2 run. After the timeout, the Falcons went on a 9-0 run to increase the lead to 31, 60-29, with 2:57 on the clock and headed into the fourth quarter with a 64-35 lead, despite Mercy outscoring Bentley 19-15 in the quarter.
In the final quarter, Mercy made a concerted effort to close the gap, outscoring Bentley 12-10. Lesko contributed significantly with a pair of free throws at 6:53 and a jumper in the paint at 4:15. Boek provided a late surge for Mercy with a quick sequence, scoring a layup and converting a three-point play in the last minute. Despite this effort, Bentley held on to secure the victory. The Mavericks outscored the Falcons 31-25 in the second half.
Lesko led the Mavericks with 16 points, converting 8 of 11 free throws and recording five steals. Lesko ends her season with 551 points, setting a new school record for points in a season. The junior surpasses the previous record of 548 set by Helen Peros in 1978. Barrera added 14 points, hitting 6 of 14 from the field, and contributed two rebounds. Boek scored 11 points and collected four rebounds, including two on the offensive end. Abuhatab posted four points and added a steal in the game. Miller and sophomore Gabrielle Martin (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) added one point.
Morgen led Bentley with a game-high 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including five 3-pointers. Cassidy Yeomans contributed significantly with seven assists and eight points, also pulling down seven rebounds.
Mercy shot 29.1 percent (16-of-55) from the floor, 16.7 percent (1-of-6) from downtown and 63.6 percent (14-of-22) from the foul line. Bentley shot 51.8 percent (29-of-56) from the field, 53.3 percent (8-of-15) from beyond the arc and 80.0 percent (8-of-10) from the charity stripe. Bentley held a 47-24 edge on the glass.
