Bentley 102, North Alabama 92

SPRINGFIELD, Mass – Bentley recorded a season- high scoring total on the way to a 102-92 victory against North Alabama in an Elite Eight quarterfinal game tonight at the MassMutual Center. In the process, the Falcons (34-0) punched a ticket to the national semifinals for the first time in program history with an 8:30 pm date on tap tomorrow versus third-ranked Winona State (36-1). The Warriors advanced with a 67-54 victory against Grand Valley State earlier this evening.

The Falcons, the lone remaining unbeaten NCAA men’s basketball squad at any level, will aim to avenge last year’s 64-51 Elite Eight quarterfinal setback to Winona State.

Bentley shot 54.8 percent (34-for-62) from the floor for the game, including 57.7 percent (15-for-26) in the half, and committed just 10 turnovers on the evening.

“We were here last year, lost in the quarterfinals and did not play very well. Winona had a lot to do with that. I think you saw a focused group of student-athletes who have worked hard for 12 month to get back to this spot. Even in the locker room, we were different than we were last year. We were much more relaxed,” said Bentley head coach Jay Lawson.

Bentley took control with a 13-5 run at the 8:17 mark of the first half that transformed a two point, 26-24, lead into a 13 point, 39-29, margin with 4:35 remaining on the way to a 48-36 halftime lead. The Falcons maintained a double-digit advantage for most of the second half that grew to as much as 19 points, 81-62, with 8:15 to go in the game following a layup by sophomore guard Mike Quinn.

Senior guard Yusuf Abdul-Ali drained 1-of-2 from the foul line and sophomore guard Jason Westrol converted back-to-back layups to ignite the Bentley first half run. Senior forward Nate Fristsch then drained two free throws, Westrol and Quinn then finished inside and Abdul-Ali capped it with a fastbreak layup.

Westrol paced six Bentley players in double-figures scoring with 26 points. Junior guard Lew Finnegan tossed in 19, while Abdul-Ali and Quinn scored 15 and 13 respectively. Fritsch wound up with 12 off the bench, while junior forward Michael Sikonski added 11.

Junior center Thomas Fraise paced North Alabama (27-9) with 25 points, while junior guard Kenny Johnson tossed in 18 points and handed out nine assists. Senior guards Casey Holt and Quinn Beckwith scored 15 and 13 points respectively, and junior forward Andrew Chesney added 11 points in 22 minutes of reserve action.