WALTHAM, Mass. – The home winning streak for the 22^nd-ranked Bentley University men's basketball team reached 17 with a wire-to-wire 86-62 victory over Southern Connecticut State University Saturday afternoon in Northeast-10 Conference action at the Dana Center.

Bentley, which maintained a double-digit lead over the final 23 minutes and led by as many as 32, improved to 6-1 overall and 2-1 NE10 with its fourth consecutive triumph. Southern Connecticut returned home with a 3-4 record, including 1-2 conference.

Junior guard Zach Laput (Beacon Falls, Conn./Notre Dame HS) scored at least 20 for the sixth time in seven games as he netted a game-high 21 points. Graduate guard Mason Webb (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness HS) followed with 17 and graduate forward Matt Leritz (St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis University HS) put up a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double.

The remainder of the Falcon starting five were also impressive. Graduate guard Brian Wright-Kinsey (Brooklyn, N.Y./Brooks School) finished with 14 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two assists, and junior guard Aaron Latham (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury HS) provided nine assists, six points, four rebounds and two steals.

Bentley jumped out of the gate by scoring 16 of the game's first 21 points. The early surge included seven points from Laput, five from Wright-Kinsey and four from Latham.

Late in the opening half, coach Jay Lawson's team put up ten straight points to extend its advantage to 18, 39-21. Leritz accounted for five of the points with a three-ball and two free throws, and Webb also dropped in a triple.

With the difference standing at 15 with just under nine minutes to play, any hopes the Owls had of making a comeback were ended when the Falcons put together a 17-0 blast that included triples from Webb, Leritz and senior guard Kellen Bochenek (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont HS). That put the score at 79-47 with 3:43 remaining.

As far as shooting, Leritz was six of eight with two treys and Wright-Kinsey six of nine with one from deep. Webb buried five of nine from downtown, Latham was successful on three of his five shot attempts and Laput was perfect at the line, making his seven attempts.

Bentley outshot the Owls, 49-34 percent, and had a 12-8 advantage in three-pointers. The Falcons made all of their free throws (12) for the second straight game, and controlled the rebounds, 44-32.

The Falcons will be on the road Tuesday for a Northeast-10 game at Pace University.