WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior guard Zach Laput (Beacon Falls, Conn./Notre Dame HS), a 2023 NABC Division II All-America, scored a career-high 32 points and graduate guard Kellan Bochenek (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont HS) sank back-to-back-to-back three-pointers in the second half as Bentley University pulled out a 78-75 win over Saint Anselm College in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball Tuesday night on the Dana Center's Barbara Stevens Court.

Bentley, with its second straight victory, improved to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the NE10. Saint Anselm remained winless three games into the conference schedule and fell to 2-4 overall.

With the exception of a 13-0 run that gave Saint Anselm a 10-point lead with nine minutes to play, it was a nail-biter throughout with 18 lead changes and nine deadlocks. The Falcons' biggest advantage was just four points.

The Hawk surge came over a span of four minutes and made it a 66-56 game. Sophomore guard Josh Morrisette (Exeter, N.H.) got it going with a foul-line jumper and one of his five three-pointers.

Bochenek, who finished with 17, ended Bentley's long scoring drought with a right-side three with 8:46 to play. He connected from the left corner with 8:03 on the clock and returned to the right side for another triple with 7:22.

Forty seconds later, sophomore guard Cash McClure (Readfield, Maine/Maranacook HS) drained another trey, this one from the right wing, and Bentley had the lead back less than two-and-a-half minutes after trailing by ten.

The Hawks countered with a 7-3 burst before Laput connected from downtown with 3:19 left, giving the lead back to the home team. Following a go-ahead lefty hook by Saint Anselm fifth-year guard Tyler Arbuckle (Bristol, Conn.), Laput put Bentley back in front for good on a step-back 15-footer with 1:25 left.

With the Falcon lead one, Saint Anselm missed four shots in the final 40 seconds before Bochenek claimed the rebound with 13 seconds left. Laput made two from the line with 11.4 seconds and a final Hawk three-point attempt was well off the mark.

Laput, who surpassed 1200 career points, finished 11 of 19 from the field and three of five from deep. He also was perfect on seven free throws.

Bochenek's six-of-ten shooting night included four of five from outside the arc. McClure added 13 points and seven rebounds and senior guard Aaron Latham (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury HS) scored ten.

Better overall shooting for Bentley (.460 as compared to .15) offset Saint Anselm's 10-of-20 effort from three. That included 9-of-12 in the first half.

Bentley will play the first of two consecutive road games Saturday at Adelphi (2:30 pm).