NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Senior forward Brian Wright-Kinsey (Brooklyn, N.Y/Brooks School) and graduate guard Colton Lawrence (Myerstown, Pa./ELCO HS) each scored 17 points and helped the Falcons dominate the boards as Bentley University won for the 10^th time in 11 games, 70-62 over Southern Connecticut State in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball Tuesday night at the Moore Fieldhouse.

The win, coupled with Saint Anselm's loss at Southern New Hampshire, extended the Falcons' lead in the NE10 Northeast Division to two games. Bentley improved to 16-3 overall and 11-3 NE10 while Southern dipped to 6-12, including 3-9 conference.

A tie game with four minutes to play, Bentley closed with a 13-5 run with all the Falcon scoring coming from the foul line. Sophomore guard Zach Laput (Beacon Falls, Conn./Notre Dame HS) sank seven of eight and Webb made four of four during the closing surge.

Bentley trailed most of the opening half but used a late 7-0 run to grab a 35-30 lead in the final minute. Wright-Kinsey netted the final five with a putback and a three-pointer. The Owls got three back when senior guard Isaiah Boissard (Walden, N.Y.) dropped in a three to beat the buzzer.

The Falcons opened the second by scoring the first seven points, making it a 10-point game at 43-33. Wright-Kinsey had a three-point play the traditional way, graduate forward Pete Blust (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale HS) scored on a drive and Laput hit a straightaway three.

Southern battled back and took a one-point lead, 52-51, when freshman forward Jamaal Waters (Hartford, Conn.) made one of two free throws with 8:25 left.

There would be three more lead changes and one tie before Bentley's game-closing run.

Lawrence, who scored 15 of his 17 in the first half, finished 7 of 13 from the field with three triples. Wright-Kinsey was six of ten from the field while posting a season-best point total.

 Sophomore guard Lyron Bennett (Boston) led Southern with 18 points.

Bentley owned the boards with 17 offensive and a rebound margin of +19. After Laput's 14, the Falcons received nine from Blust, eight apiece from Webb and Lawrence, seven from Wright-Kinsey and five from graduate forward Adria Amabilino-Perez (Barcelona, Spain).

Neither team shot well (Southern had a slight edge, 37-34 percent) and each only connected five times from deep. Bentley made 14 more free throws, 19-5, and finished with a 15-9 advantage in second chance points. Southern only turned the ball over five times, but managed only two points off the Falcons' 10 turns.

Bentley's next game is at home Saturday afternoon against Southern New Hampshire.