WALTHAM, Mass. – It's been an outstanding season for the 16^th-ranked Bentley University men's basketball team with the accomplishments including a 21-4 record, the Northeast-10 Northeast Division regular season championship, the number one ranking in the NCAA Division II East Region, as well as the national ranking.

The Falcons will have a chance to add to that resume on Sunday when they host Franklin Pierce University in the Northeast-10 championship game at the Dana Center. The 3:00 game will be streamed over the NE10 NOW Digital Network.

Franklin Pierce, 18-9 with six wins in their last seven games, has been a Bentley nemesis so far this season. Of the four Falcon losses, the Ravens have been responsible for two, 87-86 in Waltham back in December and 84-65 two weeks ago in Rindge, N.H.

Northeast-10 Player of the Year Isaiah Moore has carried Franklin Pierce in the two games against the Falcons, averaging 27.5 points and six assists. He had 27 points and a game-ending block in the first meeting and 28 in the February rematch.

The Ravens in the two games shot .515 overall and .467 from three while sinking 10.5 triples a game. Bentley's leader against Franklin Pierce was sophomore guard and NE10 All-Rookie selection Zach Laput (Beacon Falls, Conn./Notre Dame HS), with averages of 18 points and ten rebounds and a .577 field goal percentage.

Bentley, a finalist for the tenth time, will be looking for its first Northeast-10  championship since going back-to-back in 2007 and 2008. Coach Jay Lawson's team has been in the title game since then, but came up short in both 2011, 78-72 to Adelphi, and 2016, 90-87 to Southern New Hampshire.

Franklin Pierce has just one title appearance to its credit, an 85-74 loss to Southern New Hampshire in 2013.

Bentley, the NE10 leader in numerous statistical categories including scoring, reached the championship game with wins over Saint Rose and Saint Anselm. They took care of the Golden Knights 93-65 and used a 40-24 second-half to take care of the Hawks, 81-65.

During those two playoff games, Bentley was led by the trio of graduate student Jordan Mello-Klein (Sharon/Thayer Academy), senior Mason Webb (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness HS) and Laput. All three scored at least 20 in the Saint Anselm win.

In the postseason, Mello-Klein is averaging 21 points, 8.5 rebounds and four assists while shooting 54 percent. Webb has produced 18 a game on 57 percent shooting and Laput has made 61 percent of his field goal attempts with a total of 33 points.

For the season, graduate guard Colton Lawrence (Myerstown, Pa./ELCO HS) leads the Falcons with 16.4 a game. The above-mentioned three follow with all around 15 a game. Mello-Klein, a first-team All-NE10 honoree, ranks third in the NE10 in rebounds, assists and steals.

Bentley's fifth starter, graduate forward Pete Blust (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central HS), is among the conference leaders in field goal percentage (.605) and blocks (49), sixth most in program history. Off the bench, Lawson generally goes with senior guard Brian Wright-Kinsey (Brooklyn, N.Y./Brooks School), graduate forward Adria Amabilino Perez (Barcelona, Spain) and junior guard Isaac Martin (Peachtree Corner, Ga./Norcross HS).

Moore and six-foot-six Maxwell Zegarowski led FPU in the semifinal win at Pace with Moore scoring 25 and Zegarowski 20. After the game was tied at 70, the Ravens closed with an 11-5 run.

Franklin Pierce has three players who average in doubles, a list headed by Moore who produces 23.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists a game. Zegarowski and freshman Mohamed Traiore follow at 14.8 and 13.3, respectively, with the trio accounting for 62 percent of the Ravens' points.

Bentley and Franklin Pierce are 1-2 in the NE10 in scoring with the Falcons putting up 82.4 a game and the Ravens 78.4. They are also 1-2 in three-point shooting, free throw percentage, total rebounds and fewest fouls with Bentley first in the first three categories and FPU owning a slight edge in fewest fouls.

Oddly enough, this will only be the second postseason meeting the two teams. The other game in 2016 with Bentley prevailing 86-71 in the quarters.         

The announcement of the field for the NCAA Division II East Region will be made Sunday night at 10:30 pm during a selection show on NCAA.com.