WALTHAM, Mass. – Saint Anselm College junior guard Tim Guers (Langhorne, Pa.) sank a pair of free throws with 3.9 seconds left to break an 86-all tie and give the Hawks an 88-86 win over Bentley University in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action Saturday afternoon at the Dana Center.

The decisive free throws came after Bentley (6-3, 4-2 NE10) had battled back from a 12-point deficit with 6:40 to play and tied the contest with 32 seconds left.

There were four players in the game who scored at least 20, a list headed by Falcon junior guard Ryan Richmond (Toronto, Ont./Thomson Collegiate) with 29, along with seven assists and five rebounds.

Guers and classmate Cody Ball (Londonderry, N.H.) each scored 25 for Saint Anselm (7-3, 5-2), and senior guard Taylor Fortin (Tolland, Conn.) followed with 20.

There were an amazing 18 lead changes in a first half that ended with Bentley in front, 44-42, after a half-ending block by freshman guard Colton Lawrence (Myerstown, Pa./ELCO HS).

Eight unanswered by the Falcons, including threes by Richmond and junior forward Zach Gilpin (Hampden, Maine/Hampden Academy), had given the Falcons a 44-37 advantage, but the Hawks were looking to close with seven straight points before Lawrence protected the lead with the block.

Saint Anselm hit its first six shots of the second half, including a pair of Fortin three-pointers, to go up 57-50. 

Later in the half, Ball drained three triples in a span of a little more than a minute, giving his team a 79-67 lead. Bentley answered right back with seven straight, including five by Richmond, to make it a five-point game with five minutes left.

Two free throws by sophomore forward Chris Hudson (Hodgdon, Maine/Williston Northhampton Academy) with 1:52 to play and a Gilpin lay-up with 1:07 left brought Bentley to within one, 85-84.

After Saint Anselm freshman Chris Paul (Highland Mills, N.Y.) made one of two at the line, Richmond drive to the basket for a game-tying basket with 32 seconds left. The Hawks used almost all of the shot clock before Guers was fouled attempting a go-ahead basket.

Richmond, who was five of eight from three, was followed on the Bentley scoring list by Gilpin and freshman guard Jordan Mello-Klein (Sharon/Thayer Academy), with 18 and 10 points respectively. Gilpin also had a game-high nine rebounds.

Three-pointers were the difference as both clubs shot 52 percent and made eight from the line. Saint Anselm finished 12 of 27 from deep while Bentley was 8 of 21.

Bentley made only six turnovers, five less than the Hawks, but was outrebounded for the first time this season, 35-29.

The Falcons will look to bounce back Tuesday with a 7:30 pm contest at Merrimack College.