Box Score        Bentley Press Conference

WALTHAM, Mass. – It was all Bentley University Saturday night as the Falcons buried a school-record tying 19 three-pointers and limited Felician University to 19 first-half points during a 95-63 victory in the opening round of the NCAA Division II East Regional at the Dana Center.

Number one-seeded Bentley, 23-4 overall, will move on to face fifth-seeded Pace University Sunday at 7:30 pm in the second-half of a regional semifinal doubleheader. The opening game, slated for 5 pm, will pit sixth-seeded New Haven against number seven St. Thomas Aquinas.

The Falcons were powered by graduate guard Jordan Mello-Klein (Sharon/Thayer Academy), who came within an assist of a triple-double while playing only 23:35, and senior guard Mason Webb (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness HS), who tied the school record for threes in a game (8) while putting up a game-high 25 points.

The first half featured a 35-2 run that featured nine three-pointers, including five by Webb and three, in a span of two minutes, by Mello-Klein. That made it a 42-10 domination with four minutes still to play in the opening stanza.

"We guarded extremely well during the first half and probably half the second," said Bentley head coach Jay Lawson. "We knew getting stops was the key. That led to a number of open shots that we don't usually get."

Webb, with 22, outscored Felician during the opening 20 minutes, which ended with Bentley in front by 32, 51-19. Twelve of the Falcons' 19 treys came in the half, and Mello-Klein ripped down 12 rebounds, all at the defensive end, before intermission.

The second half included a run of 17 consecutive points by the Falcons, making it an 80-29 game with more than 11 minutes still on the clock. That spurt included eight points from graduate guard Colton Lawrence (Myerstown, Pa./ELCO HS) and seven from senior guard Brian Wright-Kinsey (Brooklyn, N.Y./Brooks School). The final seven were scored after Lawson sat his starters with just about 14 minutes remaining.

Webb had seven rebounds in addition to shooting 8 of 11, all from beyond the arc. He joined Billy Holden, Jamie Baker and Lew Finnegan as the only Falcons to sink that many triples.

"Mason hasn't been open that much most of the season, but he's a superior shooter," said Lawson.

Mello-Klein's line included 11 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists and a pair of steals. "Jordan is one of the most focused and dedicated players. I've been fortunate to be here for 37 years and he's right up there as a friend, leader and teammate, besides the ball handling, passing, shooting, defense, d-rebounding, steals and all the other things," praised Lawson.

Sophomore guard Zach Laput (Beacon Falls, Conn./Notre Dame HS) scored 18 on seven-of-nine shooting and also had five rebounds and five assists. Lawrence was Bentley's fourth double-figure scorer, with 15 points.

The plus-minus for the Bentley starters were off the charts. Laput was a plus-42, Lawrence a plus-38, graduate forward Pete Blust (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale HS) and Mello-Klein were both a plus-36 and Webb a plus-28.

Junior guard Justin Davis (Jersey City, N.J.) led Felician (19-10) with 19 points.

Bentley outshot the visitors, 46-32 percent, and more than doubled the Golden Falcons on the boards, 59-29. From deep, the Falcons connected at a 44 percent clip, with the 19 makes coming on 43 attempts.

"We've been working toward this for five years" said Mello-Klein. "We have to continue to focus, which can get difficult when the game gets out of hand."

In the first game of the day, New Haven upended Saint Anselm 78-70 despite 24 points from the Hawks' Chris Paul. Quashawn Lane led the 18-8 Chargers with 19 points, five rebounds and ten fouls drawn.

Game two saw St. Thomas Aquinas (27-4) overcome a 13-point halftime deficit to oust Franklin Pierce, 76-69. Five-foot-eight guard DeMetre Roberts led the way with 20 points.

In the nightcap, Pace pulled away from fourth-seeded Dominican (N.Y.) in the second half for a 77-64 win. Up by two at the break, the Setters were powered by Brandon Powell, who scored 20 of his 24 during Pace's 50-point second half.