WALTHAM, Mass. – Sophomore guard Ryan Richmond (Toronto, Ont./Thomson Collegiate HS) scored 34 points, including five during a game-ending 10-2 run, and classmate Kyle Bouchard (Houlton, Maine/Houlton HS) matched his career-high with 18 as Bentley University pulled out a 91-85 Senior Day win over Saint Anselm College Saturday afternoon.

With the victory, the Falcons (13-12, 10-10 NE10) moved a game ahead of Stonehill College in the battle for fifth place in the Northeast Division with one to play. However, should the two finish tied, the Skyhawks control the tie-breaker by virtue of sweeping the two regular season meetings.

The back-and-forth contest saw Bentley on the short end of an 83-81 score with two minutes to play after the Hawks scored seven of the game's previous nine points.

Bouchard drilled a go-ahead three-ball from the left wing with 1:45 left, and after Saint Anselm's 15th turnover, Richmond split the lane to make it 86-83 with 1:18 remaining. Following a defensive stop by the Falcons, Richmond made it a two-possession game, 89-83, when he drilled a top-of-the-key three with 0:43.5 on the clock.

Bentley senior guard Ferguson Duke (Dartmouth, N.S./Hun School (N.J.)) sank two of four from the line in the final 17.4 seconds to secure the positive outcome for the Falcons.

The Falcons used an early 10-0 run to take a 14-7 lead less than five minutes into the contest. Half of those were scored by Bouchard, who made a lay-up and knocked down a three from the right wing.

Bentley maintained a slim lead for most of the first but Saint Anselm, riding the hot hand of senior forward Harrison Taggart (Wallingford, Vt.), took a 43-40 lead into the break after closing with a 15-5 run. Taggart scored 20 of his 28 points before intermission.

Saint Anselm maintained the advantage for most of the first ten minutes of the second, the exception coming with 13:32 left after back-to-back three-point plays by Richmond.

Bentley reclaimed the lead when three straight triples from the left side turned a five-point deficit into a 69-65 lead with 7:44 left. Richmond hit two of the three with one from senior guard Chris Murray (Littleton/Littleton HS) in between.

Saint Anselm sophomore guard Cody Ball (Londonderry, N.H.) drained a second-chance three from the right side with 3:30 left to knot the count at 79 apiece. Twice in the next 90 seconds, Hawk senior forward Grant Mackey (North Berwick, Scotland) broke a deadlock with a lay-up, the second putting his team up 83-81.

Richmond knocked down 12 of 22 shots overall, including four of seven from deep, and also had four assists and three rebounds in 39 turnover-free minutes. Bouchard's day included making seven of 11 overall with a pair of triples, seven rebounds, two steals and a block.

Junior forward Brandon Wheeler (Stamford, Conn./Trinity Catholic HS) followed with 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals, and Duke also reached double figures, finishing with ten points and seven boards.

Taggart, in addition to scoring 28, finished with eight rebounds and five assists. He shot well in the first half but was only three of 11 after the break. Sophomore guard Tim Guers (Langhorne, Pa.) also had a strong game for Saint Anselm with 15 points, 11 rebounds and seven dimes.

Turnovers were a key with Bentley finishing with a 16-3 advantage in points off. The Falcons lost the ball only seven times while forcing 15.

Both teams shot the same (.485) and Saint Anselm had the edge in threes, 11-8. Bentley countered that by attempting twice as many free throws (26-13) and making seven more (17-10).

Bentley will wrap up the regular season Tuesday with a 7:30 game at Merrimack.