LAKELAND, Fla. – Bentley University senior center Ivan Misic (Toronto, Ont.) established a career-high with 23 points and senior guard Zach Laput (Beacon Falls, Conn./Notre Dame HS) followed with 22, but the Falcons came up short against Missouri-St. Louis, 76-73, during the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic Sunday at Florida Southern's Jenkins Field House.

UMSL, an NCAA Division II Elite Eight, made its final six field goal attempts and outscored the Falcons 24-16 over the final seven-and-a-half minutes to gain the victory in the back-and-forth contest.

Following the game, Bentley head coach Jay Lawson praised his team and the tournament. "We were tough-minded and we're still a work in progress, like all the teams. We're pleased with the entire weekend. Bentley is very appreciative of the work Small College Basketball and Florida Southern did."

The Tritons, who were a plus-22 in paint points (42-20), were powered by six-ten sophomore Troy Glover II (Wheaton, Ill.). He came off the bench to make nine of 12 from the field, including at least four dunks, and finished with 20 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks.

"We needed to make them beat us without layups," said Lawson. That didn't happen as 20 of the Tritons' 31 field goals came in the paint.

Bentley, number 16 in the preseason NABC Division II coaches poll, ran off six straight points to regain the lead, 57-52, with 8:10 left. Sophomore forward Joe Carroll (Cedar Grove, N.J./Blair Academy) scored off a Laput pass, sophomore guard Cash McClure (Readville, Maine/Maranacook HS) drove to the basket for two and Misic sank two free throws.

After a couple lead changes, Missouri-St. Louis took the lead for good, 66-62, with an 8-3 spurt that included two dunks and two free throws by Glover.

Bentley made it a one-possession game three times in the final 3:25, including 74-72 with 17 seconds left. After a free throw, McClure stole the inbound pass and senior guard Aaron Latham (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury HS) laid it in.

A break-away on the ensuing inbound play culminated with a Triton dunk by Terrell Kabala (Webb City, Mo.) with 15 seconds left restored the difference to four points.

Powered by Misic, who scored 15 of his team's first 17 points, Bentley opened a ten-point first-half lead, 24-14. It was still a five-point advantage, 29-24, when Laput made two from the line with 4:22 remaining.

UMSL closed the half with a 10-0 run as Bentley missed its final ten shots of the first. That sent the Tritons into intermission up five, 34-29.

Misic, whose previous career best was eight, connected on seven of 11 shots overall, three of five from deep and six of seven free throws. He also had three rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block.

Laput played all 40 minutes and finished with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in addition to 22 points. Latham and graduate guard Kellan Bochenek (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont HS) each scored seven and McClure collected nine rebounds.

Both teams connected at better than a 50 percent clip in the second half, but Missouri-St. Louis had the overall advantage, 50-42 percent. The Tritons had the rebounding edge (38-31, including 13 offensive for 16 second-chance points). The Falcons went to the line more, finishing 15 of 19 and making and attempting ten more than their 1-1 opponents.

Bentley, also 1-1, will play at Georgian Court next Saturday.