WALTHAM, Mass. (1/10/26) – The Franklin Pierce University women's basketball team dropped a Northeast 10 Conference road contest on Friday afternoon, falling 72–43 at Bentley University inside the Charles A. Dana Center.

Score: Bentley 72, Franklin Pierce 43
Records: Franklin Pierce 1–13 (0–5 NE10), Bentley 9–2 (5–0 NE10)
Location: Charles A. Dana Center (Waltham, Mass.)
Date: January 10, 2026

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Bentley set the tone from the opening tip, scoring on its first possession and jumping out to a quick 5–2 lead in the opening minutes. Franklin Pierce responded with early baskets from Liv Murray (Salem, N.H.) and Emily Mennillo (Orange, Conn.), but the Falcons capitalized on turnovers and second-chance opportunities to build momentum. A late Bentley jumper in the final seconds of the first quarter sent the hosts into the break with a 21–9 advantage.
• The Ravens found a brief rhythm early in the second quarter. Nafi Balde (Queens, N.Y.) scored five straight points, including an and-one finish at the 9:05 mark, trimming the deficit to seven. Bentley answered immediately, however, stringing together a 12–2 run midway through the quarter that featured multiple fast-break scores and a pair of finishes in the paint, pushing the lead to 36–16. Franklin Pierce closed the half with baskets from Keely Wiseman (Adelaide, Australia) and Murray, but Bentley maintained control heading into halftime, 42–23.
• Franklin Pierce opened the third quarter aggressively, as Murray converted a layup off a turnover just 38 seconds in. Bentley responded with a three-pointer and followed with consistent trips to the free-throw line, preventing the Ravens from gaining traction. Despite continued effort on the defensive end, Bentley extended the margin to 57–32 entering the fourth.
• The Ravens continued to compete in the final frame, with Mennillo scoring inside and Wiseman adding points off the bench, but Bentley closed the game with balanced scoring to secure the 72–43 decision.

BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBERS

• Franklin Pierce shot 34.0% (18-of-53) from the field and 8.3% (2-of-24) from three-point range.
• Liv Murray paced Franklin Pierce with 12 points, shooting an efficient 5-of-7 from the field.

UP NEXT FOR THE RAVENS