Perfectly awful ending for Bentley
SPRINGFIELD - In a rare defeat, the Bentley College Falcons showed the kind of heart that made them a source of enormous pride through win after win in Waltham and beyond.
Last night, in a Division 2 semifinal, the top-ranked and undefeated Falcons finally met their match in the form of a Winona State team from Minnesota that mirrored them in will, and - for one night - exceeded them ever so slightly in talent. Winona State, Division 2 champ in 2006 and runner-up a year ago, outlasted Bentley down the stretch, 86-75.
The Warriors overcame a 6-point halftime deficit with blistering 61.5 percent shooting in the second half. Time after time, they found the way to make tough shots when they needed them most.
Winona State (37-1) will meet Augusta State (27-6) in tomorrow's championship. Augusta State downed Alaska-Anchorage in the other semifinal, 56-50.
For Bentley (34-1), this marked the second consecutive year an undefeated season was ended in Springfield by Winona State. Last year, the Warriors prevailed in the quarterfinals, 64-51.
"We have a very good team," said Bentley coach Jay Lawson. "We have a good enough team to win the national championship. We've only lost to one team in the last 68 games, and it's them. They deserve a lot of credit. They didn't beat slouches."
After trailing at halftime, 36-30, Winona State took the lead for good with 9:22 left on a Quincy Henderson 3-pointer for a 56-54 advantage. The game's signature play followed when Henderson missed a three, and David Johnson soared between two Bentley players for the rebound, falling diagonally to the floor while flicking in a lefthanded reverse. He then made the free throw for a 3-point play.
Winona State was led by Division 2 National Player of the Year John Smith, who had 22 points. Jonte Flowers had 20. Henderson had 17, and Johnson added 16.
Senior Nate Fritsch paced Bentley with 18 points. Afterward, he reflected on an unforgettable journey.
"We were beyond lucky even to be at Bentley," Fritsch said about himself and the team's only other senior, point guard Yusuf Abdul-Ali (10 points). "To end up at a place like this where you got players who care as much as yourself about basketball, and you got coaches that kill themselves to help you out, what else can you say? I just feel really lucky."
Lew Finnegan added 17 points for Bentley. Tom Dowling was a force off the bench with 15.
The game was played before 4,019, the largest attendance for an Elite Eight semifinal since 1988. Both Winona State and Bentley had huge and spirited rooting contingents, but at the finish line Winona State fans led the taunting cheers of "Overrated" and "Season's over."
Winona State certainly earned the pride. On successive nights, the Warriors knocked off both co-No. 1-ranked undefeated teams. On Wednesday night, they topped Grand Valley State. Now they stand one win from their second championship in three years.
"It takes a great team not to lose a game," said Smith. "We knew what we were getting ourselves into, but we were confident we were at least as good."
Bentley heads home after two straight years that left Lawson grasping for superlatives.
"We're fortunate to have come together through basketball," he said. "Most coaches and athletes never even dream of having one year like this. To actually have two seasons like this is very, very special for all of us."
