WALTHAM, Mass. – Despite a season-best 29 points by junior forward Tyler McFarland (Rockport, Maine/Camden Hills HS), Bentley University dropped a 90-85 decision to Stonehill College in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball Saturday afternoon at the Dana Center.

The 4-0 Skyhawks (2-0 NE-10) shot a sparkling 54 percent from three-point land while knocking down 15 triples for the second straight contest. Bentley had the same number of field goals and a 17-15 advantage in free throws, but was just 8 of 23 from beyond the arc.

Six of those Stonehill threes came in the first nine minutes, producing a game-high 16-point differential at 24-8. Leading that charge was junior guard Carter Smith (Columbus, Ohio) with three, including two before the game was two minutes old.

Bentley gradually cut into the lead and was within four when sophomore guard Ferguson Duke (Dartmouth, N.S./Hun School (N.J.)) hit a jumper with 37 seconds left before the half. However, senior forward Jack Cole (New Providence, N.J.) beat the buzzer with the Skyhawks' seventh triple (in 11 chances) of the first half, making it a 40-33 game.

McFarland buried a three from the left side with 11:31 left in the second half, bringing the Falcons within four. Stonehill countered with consecutive three-balls from sophomore forward Ryan Logan (Fredericktown, Ohio), the beginning of a 10-2 run that pushed the spread back to 14, 70-56 with nine minutes left.

Bentley came right back with ten straight points with both McFarland and senior guard Keegan Hyland (South Portland, Maine/South Portland HS) scoring five points during a run that again reduced the Falcon deficit to four, 70-66 with 5:25 to play.

With it a still a four-point game, Stonehill junior Adam Bramanti (Middleton) drained his fifth triple in eight attempts to put his team up 78-71 with 2:09 left. Bentley continued to battle down the stretch, but the Skyhawks made 11 of 14 free throws in the final 82 seconds to hold off the Falcons.

Smith, five of nine from downtown, led Stonehill with 23 points and five assists. Cole followed with 20 points, 14 boards and five helpers, and Bramanti netted 18 points.

McFarland, who scored 20 of his 29 in the second half, was 12 of 17 overall and four of five from three-point land. He also contributed five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal.

Hyland followed with a 17-point, nine-rebound afternoon, and senior guard JP Koury (Red Bank, N.J./CBA) provided 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Junior guard Shaq Phelps (Linden, N.J./Linden HS) was productive off the bench with 11 points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal.

Stonehill, in addition to its shooting superiority from outside, also controlled the rebounds (38-29).  Bentley finished with a 21-2 advantage off turnovers as it made only six while forcing 14, but missed ten free throws.

Bentley, 1-3 overall (0-2 NE-10), will look for its first conference win Tuesday night when it plays a 7:30 game at Southern New Hampshire.