WALTHAM, Mass. – Following a season-opening 96-59 win over the University of the Sciences Friday night, the Bentley University men's basketball team will play the first of 19 Northeast-10 Conference games Wednesday night when it makes the trip to Saint Anselm College's Stoutenburgh Gym to take on the Hawks. The 7:30 pm game can be viewed on the NE10 NOW Digital Network.

The match-up between the Falcons and Hawks pits the two preseason favorites in the NE10's Northeast Division against each other. Saint Anselm, the three-time defending Northeast Division champion, was forecast for first in the coaches' preseason poll while Bentley followed in second.

In the opener against USciences, Bentley shot 56 percent overall, doubled the Devils on the boards (46-23) and had seven players score seven points or more in the opener.

Graduate guard Colton Lawrence (Myerstown, Pa./ELCO HS), in his first game since March 2019, led the way with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists. Senior guard Mason Webb (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness HS) followed with 16 points and knocked down three of five triples.

Jordan Mello-Klein (Sharon/Thayer HS), another graduate guard, put up a nine-point, seven-rebound, nine-assist line and junior guard Kellen Bochenek (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont HS) sank three of four from downtown. Bentley also received 12 points in 11 minutes from sophomore guard Zach Laput (Beacon Falls, Conn./Notre Dame HS), who made all five of his field goal attempts.

Saint Anselm, which hasn't played a game that counts since just before the pandemic hit, owns an 11-game winning streak and hasn't lost a home game since December 2019. Coach Keith Dickson's Hawks played one exhibition game, a 94-72 loss to Vermont Nov. 6.

The Hawks return four of five starters from their 2019-20 team. That includes two who were All-Conference honorees, first-teamer Chris Paul and third-teamer Miles Tention. Paul, also an NABC All-District pick, averaged 19.3 points and 7.6 rebounds. The 6-5 Tention provided 13.7 points a game as a sophomore and also delivered 114 assists.

The two teams split the season series when they last played with each winning by double-figures on their home court.

After Wednesday, Bentley will be off until Tuesday when they visit Stonehill.