Junior guard Nicole Bentley is thriving in her newfound role of coming off the bench for Career.

Not only is Bentley a spark defensively and as a ball handler, she has also given the Panthers a scoring punch recently. Bentley is averaging 12 points over her last four games. She scored 16 points in a win over Wilbur Cross and followed with 17 in a victory over Branford Jan. 12, both critical wins.

The Panthers are 7-0 since Bentley started coming off the bench after starting the first three.

“She’s starting to play like she’s capable of playing,” Career coach Kevin Walton said. “We gain when she comes in off the bench for us, we don’t lose anything. She’s capable of starting for us, but she’s accepted her role.”