WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior guards Zach Laput (Beacon Falls, Conn./Notre Dame HS) and Aaron Latham (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury HS) combined for 41 points and the Falcons finished with a 48-18 domination in paint points as Bentley University improved to 9-1 at home with a 79-66 win over Adelphi University in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball Saturday afternoon on the Dana Center's Barbara Stevens Court.

Laput filled the stat sheet with 23 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals, and Latham followed with 18 points and seven boards.

Bentley, 14-8 overall and 9-6 in the NE10, moved into a tie for third in the conference, just a game back of second-place Adelphi (14-7, 10-5 NE10).

In addition to a solid performance at the offensive end, Bentley was strong defensively. The Panthers were limited to 33 percent shooting inside the arc, well below their season norm of .598. In the second half, the Long Islanders shot only .324 overall and made only three of 13 from deep.

After Adelphi briefly knotted the game up at 25-all with 7:12 left in the first half, Bentley put together a 17-1 five-minute run to go up 42-26. Laput scored nine of the 17 and Latham had a couple lay-ups. Coach Jay Lawson's club, which traditionally leans heavily on the three-ball, was seven of ten during that stretch, all from inside the arc.

Forty seconds into the second half, the Falcon lead was down to seven as Adelphi scored nine unanswered, including two baskets from sophomore guard Dayshaun Walton (Albany, N.Y.). Bentley responded with five unanswered, all from senior forward Ivan Misic (Toronto, Ont.).

After Adelphi drew within six just past the midpoint of the second, Bentley put together an 11-2 spurt to make it a 15-point game, 68-53, with five minutes left. Graduate wing Kellan Bochenek (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont HS) hit a turnaround jumper in the paint, sophomore guard Cash McClure (Readfield, Maine/Maranacook HS) buried a three from the left corner and Laput scored on a fast break after a Latham takeaway.

Following a Panther basket, the Falcon run continued with a second-chance dunk by sophomore Chase Clarke (Bloomfield, N.J.) and a reverse lay-up by Latham. The difference remained in doubles the rest of the way.

Bentley's starting five combined 71 points with Laput and Latham followed by McClure (11 points, seven rebounds, six assists), Misic (10 points, 7 rebounds) and Bochenek (9 points).

Adelphi was led by graduate forward Conor Regan (Mullica Hill, N.J.), who connected on four of the Panthers' 11 threes and finished with 15 points.

Bentley shot .464 overall and made 25 of 46 inside the arc (.543). Rebounds (43-37), second-chance points (14-8) and turnovers (6-11) all favored the Falcons.

The Falcons will also be at home Wednesday, a 7:30 game against Southern New Hampshire University.