WALTHAM, Mass. – For the 11^th time in program history and the first time since 2016, the Bentley University men's basketball team captured a Northeast-10 Conference regular season championship.

Coach Jay Lawson's Falcons took charge with a 21-1 second-half run and went on to defeat Saint Anselm College 69-56 Tuesday night at the Dana Center to claim the NE10 Northeast Division title by two games over Franklin Pierce University. Bentley, ranked 20^th nationally in this week's NABC Division II coaches poll, closed out the regular season at 19-4 overall.

Bentley, which matched a season-best for fewest points allowed, limited the Hawks to just 24 second-half points and zero field goals for a span of 10:40. During that stretch, Saint Anselm missed 16 in a row from the field and turned it over three times. The Bentley D rejected three of those misses, two by senior guard Brian Wright-Kinsey (Brooklyn, N.Y./Brooks School) and one by graduate forward Adria Amabilino Perez (Barcelona, Spain).

Meanwhile, the 21-1 run turned a 47-44 deficit into a 65-48 lead with 4:38 remaining. Senior guard Mason Webb (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness HS) led the late charge with 11 of the 21, including a top-of-the-key three to start the explosion. Wright-Kinsey followed with a runner in the lane to put Bentley in front to stay, 49-47, with 10:26 on the clock.

There was very little separation during the game's first 28 minutes with the two teams never separated by more than six. There had been seven lead changes and four times, including 32-all at the half, during that time.

During the 24-point second half, Bentley limited the Hawks to 8 baskets in 30 attempts, 2 three-pointers in 14 tries and just 6 of 12 at the line. The lead eventually peaked at 18, 69-51, on two free throws from freshman Jaden Baker (Parsonsburg, Md./Wicomico HS) with 1:25 remaining.

Sophomore guard Zach Laput (Beacon Falls, Conn./Notre Dame HS) led Bentley in scoring with 15 points. Webb followed with 13 and graduate guard Jordan Mello-Klein (Sharon/Thayer Academy) finished with nine points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Junior guard Tyler Arbuckle (Bristol, Conn.) was the top scorer for Saint Anselm with 15 points, all but two coming before intermission.

For the game, Bentley outshot the Hawks 45-38 percent and outscored the visitors in the paint, 40-26. Rebounds also favored the Falcons, 44-37.