MANCHESTER, N.H. – A straightaway three-pointer by graduate student Miles Tention (Palo Alto, Calif.) with 2:24 to play erased Bentley University's final lead and propelled Saint Anselm College to a 78-73 win over the Falcons in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball Saturday afternoon at Stoutenburgh Gym. It was the conference-opener for both teams.

Tention, who played all 40 minutes, finished with a career-high 35 points and surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career.

Bentley, ranked 14^th in Division II preseason, dropped to 2-1 despite 26 points from junior guard Zach Laput (Beacon Falls, Conn./Notre Dame HS). Laput, through three games, is averaging 24.7 points.

Tention's three-pointer produced the tenth lead change of the second half and put the 2-2 Hawks in front, 67-65. After an exchange of free throws, Hawk junior guard Matt Becker (Fairfield, Conn.) drained a three from the right wing, making it 72-67 with 44.5 to play.

Bentley answered 5.5 seconds later, drawing within two on a driving layup and free throw by graduate guard Brian Wright-Kinsey (Brooklyn, N.Y./Brooks School).

Saint Anselm scored the game's next four points on free throws, with two Falcon missed shots sandwiched in between. That made it a six-point game, 76-70, with 15 seconds left. Bentley junior guard Aaron Latham (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury HS) buried a trey from the right corner to cut the deficit in half with 3.3 seconds remaining, but two final free throws by the Hawks secured the outcome.

A rough shooting stretch for Bentley in the first half, one for eight during a span of four minutes, resulted in a 13-2 Saint Anselm run and the game's biggest lead, 21-14.

The Falcons came back to even the score at 25 and it was back-and-forth the rest of the way.

Laput, who scored 16 of his 26 before halftime, was the only Falcon with at least two baskets and a .500 field goal percentage in the game. He was 8-of-12 overall, including four triples in eight attempts, while the rest of the team was only 17 of 49 (35 percent).

Joining him in doubles were Latham, with 12 points, and graduate forward Matt Leritz (St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis University HS), with ten. Rebound leaders for the Falcons were Laput with eight and Wright-Kinsey with seven.

Tention's 35-point performance included three of seven from outside the arc and 12 free throws in as many attempts. He also had six boards, three assists and three steals.

Saint Anselm also received 18 points from senior guard Tyler Arbuckle (Bristol, Conn.), who also played the full 40 minutes.

Statistically the game was even – both shot 41 percent and grabbed 39 rebounds – but Saint Anselm had two fewer turnovers, one more three-pointer and six more free throws.

Bentley's next game is also in Manchester, Tuesday at 7:30 at Southern New Hampshire.