ALBANY, N.Y. – Graduate forward Pete Blust (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale HS) scored 12 of his season-high 14 points during a second half in which Bentley University outscored The College of Saint Rose 47-31 and the Falcons won their sixth straight, 83-68, in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball Wednesday night at the Daniel Nolan Gymnasium.

Graduate guard Jordan Mello-Klein (Sharon, Mass./Thayer Academy), with an 18-point, 12-rebound double-double, topped the scoring and rebounding list for the Falcons, who are ranked 23^rd in this week's NABC Division II coaches poll.

Bentley, which had five double-digit scorers for the third straight game, improved to 12-2 overall and 7-2 NE10.  Saint Rose, which had a 37-36 lead at the half, dropped to 6-6 overall and 3-4 conference.

It was a back-and-forth opening half with six lead changes and four ties before the two teams headed into the break. Advantages of 20-12 rebounds and 8-0 second chance points helped the Golden Knights counter Bentley's 52 percent shooting.

After two more lead changes in the opening minute of the second, an inside basket from Blust ignited a 12-2 run and put the visitors in front to stay. The six-foot-seven Illinoisan accounted for the first ten, all with his inside work. Following a steal and fast-break lay-up by Mello-Klein, it was a 50-41 game.

A 6-0 Saint Rose cut the lead to four, but Bentley responded with another run, this one 11-2, to open a 63-50 lead. Mello-Klein had five of the 13 and sophomore guard Zach Laput (Beacon Falls, Conn./Notre Dame HS) added four. At that point, Bentley had made 13 of 20 second-half shots.

 Bentley, which has outscored the opponents 134-97 in the last three second halves, opened a 16-point lead three times, the first coming on a basket from senior guard Mason Webb (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness HS) with eight minutes left.

Mello-Klein (4 assists, 3 steals) and Blust (7-10 shooting, 2 blocks) were joined in doubles by Laput (13 with 7 rebounds), Webb (12, 5 rebounds) and graduate guard Colton Lawrence (Myerstown, Pa./ELCO HS) (16, 5 assists). Off the bench, senior guard Brian Wright-Kinsey (Brooklyn, N.Y./Brooks School) pitched in with eight points.

 For Saint Rose, both freshman guard Tray Alexander (Freeport, N.Y.) and freshman forward Shane O'Dell (Schenectady, N.Y.) scored 14 points.

Overall, Bentley outshot the home team, 56-44 percent, and closed to within one in rebounds, 32-33.  Points off turns favored the Falcons, 23-10, as did points in the painr, 52-42.

The Falcons will be back home for their next two, beginning with a Saturday matinee against American International.