The No. 2-ranked team in the country with the perfect 4-0 record has one senior in its starting five.
That team would be none other than the Bentley College men's basketball team.
After coasting past the likes of non-league foes (Pfeiffer, Barton) in the season opening Shepherd Tourney, Bentley knocked off Northeast-10 opponent Southern Connecticut State, 92-53, on Tuesday. Yesterday's 81-54 win over visiting UMass-Lowell was first victory on the homecourt for the Falcons, who played on the Dana Center hardwood for the first time since winning the Northeast Regionals there last spring.
Bentley rolled to the Division II Elite Eight, when it fell to Winona State, 64-51. The only loss all season happened in the final game, but the Falcons are not exactly starting from scratch this year.
The lone senior currently in this year's starting lineup is 5-foot-11 guard Yusuf Abdul-Ali, who tallied 13.3 points per game last season. The rest of the starting backcourt is rounded out by freshman Mike Quinn (red shirt last season) and sophomore Jason Westrol. The Falcons lost five players to graduation.
Nate Fritsch, who has been hampered by knee cartilage injuries this season, has not been able to practice regularly for several weeks. Yesterday, he came off the bench to score seven points in 24 minutes. While he is not starting games as of now, the Falcons hope to get him back in the fold during upcoming games.
``Nate is the leader of this team,'' said Bentley coach Jay Lawson. ``Having Nate play is better than worrying about him starting.''
Lawson has guided Bentley to 12 consecutive winning campaigns and have the makings of another big season this winter.
But the Falcons are not getting ahead of themselves.
``I wouldn't say it was a great defensive game,'' said Lawson, whose team held a double-digit lead for much of yesterday's action at the Dana Center.
The Bentley defense flexed it muscles yesterday afternoon, forcing 12 UMass-Lowell first half turnovers that equated to 21 Bentley points. The River Hawks finished with 22 turnovers.
For the third straight contest, a Bentley opponent hasn't cracked 55 points. The River Hawks totaled 54 points on 38.3 percent shooting. The River Hawks were outscored in the paint by a gaping 36-14 margin.
Tight defense and young talent sounds look it could be another recipe for success for Lawson.
``Our defense is built inside out,'' added Lawson. ``We're a help team first. It seems our first half is OK, and second half our defense locks in. We start stealing.''
The Falcons shot 49.2 percent from the field and were paced by Lew Finnegan's 20 points.
``We lost lots of veterans,'' Fritsch said despite the youth in yesterday's starting lineup. ``(We have) lots of talent coming back. It's definitely fun to see what some of these guys can do.''
The Falcons have won 31 regular seasons game in a row. Yesterday's victory marked the 25th consecutive victory for Bentley in NE-10 play. The prior record holder was the Falcons, who ripped off 24 straight wins from February of 2004 to February of 2005.
Former Watertown High star Max Kerman had seven points for the River Hawks yesterday.
Bentley took charge with an 11-0 run midway through the first half, a surge that turned a one-point hole into a 22-12 lead. Abdul-Ali put the Falcons in front for good with a three-ball, Finnegan followed with a triple, Fritsch nailed a three of his own, and Finnegan hit a jumper.
After the River Hawks got back within six, Bentley closed the first half with a 9-2 run, including a buzzer-beating trey by Westrol.
The differential remained in double figures throughout the second half, and Bentley pulled away by holding UMass-Lowell (0-2, 0-2 NE-10) without a field goal for a stretch of 12:20. During that time frame, the Falcons outscored the visitors 21-5 to open a commanding 75-48 lead with 3:30 left.
On Wednesday, American International comes to Waltham, hoping to put a halt to that winning streak. It may happen, but right now it's hard to picture the Falcons losing anytime soon in the Dana Center, or on any hardwood court for that matter.
``It (the easy wins) will change quickly next four, five games. We're trying to reach our potential,'' said Lawson.
Lawson then added he is ``not sure well all know yet'' what that potential is.
