WALTHAM, Mass. – After struggling in consecutive road contests, the Bentley University men's basketball team will be back in the Dana Center on Saturday to take on St. Michael's College in a key Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division contest. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:30 pm.

Five teams out of the Northeast Division qualify for the fast-approaching conference championship tournament and Bentley, 14-9 overall and 9-8 NE-10, returns home in sole possession of fifth place. The Falcons are one up on both Franklin Pierce and Merrimack in the loss column and trail the two teams who are tied for third, St. Michael's and Stonehill, by two games with four to play.

After winning four in a row, Bentley averaged only 60 points while suffering through two of its three poorest shooting performances of the season in losses to Saint Anselm and Merrimack. On the other hand, both of those teams shot very well with the former connecting at a 56 percent clip overall and the Warriors sinking 11 of 21 three-pointers Tuesday night.

St. Michael's entered Wednesday's game at the Saint Anselm with a 6-1 record in its last seven, but were also blitzed by the Hawks in a 97-76 loss. The Purple Knights allowed 58 first-half points, gave up 16 three-pointers and were outscored 17-3 off turnovers.

During the recent two losses, junior forward Tyler McFarland (Rockport, Maine/Camden Hills HS) and senior guard Keegan Hyland (South Portland, Maine/South Portland HS) accounted for nearly two-thirds of Bentley's scoring with McFarland averaging 22.5 and Hyland 16.5.

Those same two have been the Falcons' top scorers for the season, but not quite to the extreme they were in those two. McFarland has elevated his averaged to 19.7, fourth best in the NE-10, after producing 21.8 a game over his last five. Hyland is seventh in the conference at 18.7 and has had at least seven rebounds in six straight games.

McFarland and Hyland are joined in Bentley's usual starting lineup by senior guard JP Koury (Red Bank, N.J./CBA) along with juniors Alex Furness (Wells, Maine/Wells HS) and Shaq Phelps (Linden, N.J./Linden HS). Furness and Koury are averaging 9.4 and 9.2 points, respectively, and Phelps is at 6.4. Phelps owns a .505 field goal percentage and is second on the team in offensive rebounds with 36.

Prior to the game, Bentley will recognize its four graduating seniors: Koury, Andrew Shaw (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy), Jate Cheshul (Galloway, N.J./Holy Spirit HS) and Kevin Carpenter (Lenox/ Lenox HS). Hyland is scheduled to return next season for his final year of eligibility.  

A trio of seniors are at the top of the scoring list for St. Michael's with guard Mike Holton, Jr. leading the way with a 14.6 average. He's one of five Purple Knights who make at least one three-pointer a game with his 45 this season putting him over 200 for his career.

Backcourt mate Corey Crawford II follows at 13.1, and six-foot-seven James Cambronne is right behind him at 12.8. Cambronne, who has been a thorn in the Falcons' side in recent games, shoots 47 percent from three and also averages nearly seven rebounds.

Sophomore forward Matt Bonds comes in as the conference's second-leading rebounder as he averages 9.5 and has four double-doubles. In terms of offensive rebounds, no one in the NE-10 is close to Bonds' 4.1 per game mark.

St. Michael's has had Bentley's number in recent years, winning six of the last seven meetings with the lone Falcon win during that stretch coming in overtime in Nov. 2012. In the first meeting this season, back on Dec. 6 in Colchester, Vt., Holton buried eight three-pointers during a 36-point night and Bonds provided 15 rebounds off the bench, including nine at the offensive end. Hyland led Bentley with 26 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

Bentley's final home game of the regular season will be Wednesday with the Falcons hosting division co-leader Southern New Hampshire at 7:30 pm.