WALTHAM, Mass. – Sophomore guard Zach Laput (Beacon Falls, Conn./Notre Dame HS) had 15 points and 12 rebounds, including 11 and eight in the second half, as Bentley University rallied for its eighth straight win, 66-56 over Le Moyne College in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball Wednesday evening at the Dana Center. It was the fifth consecutive game the Falcons won after trailing at the break.

Bentley, ranked 19^th in the latest NABC Division II coaches poll, improved to an East Region-best 14-2 overall, including 9-2 in the NE10, good for a 2.5 game lead over Franklin Pierce, Saint Anselm and Stonehill in the conference's Northeast Division. Le Moyne, which led by as many as nine in the first half, fell to 8-8 overall and 4-5 NE10.

The Falcon comeback began with a 9-0 run late in the first half, forging a 26-all tie before a basket from Le Moyne sophomore guard Jeremiah Washington (Chicago, Ill.) sent the visitors to the locker room up two. Senior guard Brian Wright-Kinsey (Brooklyn, N.Y./Brooks School) played a big role in the late surge, with a driving lay-up and a triple from the right wing.

A couple minutes into the second, with the Falcons down four, Laput led Bentley on a 14-2 explosion that produced a 42-34 lead. He finished three driving lay-ups and also knocked down a three from the right side.

Later in the second, Bentley used a 16-4 run to stretch the differential to 15, 58-43. Included were four points apiece from graduate guard Colton Lawrence (Myerstown, Pa./ELCO HS) and senior guard Mason Webb (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness HS).

The Dolphins got within eight in the final minute before two free throws from Wright-Kinsey closed out the scoring with 45.9 seconds left.

In the first half, Le Moyne contained the NE10's highest scoring offense with Bentley shooting only .333 and making just two of seven from outside the arc.

Laput, who answered a 2-for-7 shooting first half with 5 for 7 in the second, was followed in the scoring column by Webb and Mello-Klein, both with 13 points. Mello-Klein also had eight rebounds and seven assists, numbers very close to his season norms. Wright-Kinsey added 11 points off the bench.

Le Moyne also had four players score in doubles with redshirt freshman guard Christian Davis (Denver, Colo.) topping the list with 14 points.

With the hot shooting after the break, Bentley finished with a .462 field goals percentage and four of ten from three. On the other hand, Le Moyne connected at a .411 clip and was only 5 of 21 from outside. The Falcons also had the rebound edge, 40-31, and scored 46 in the paint, 20 more than the Dolphins.

On Saturday, Bentley is scheduled for a 3:30 pm game at Adelphi University.