WALTHAM, Mass. – Sophomore guard Cash McClure (Readfield, Maine/Maranacook HS) and senior guard Zach Laput (Beacon Falls, Conn./Notre Dame HS) led five double figure scorers with 19 points apiece as Bentley University took down first-place St. Michael's College, 84-65, in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball Wednesday night on the Dana Center's Barbara Stevens Court.

Bentley, with its season-best fourth straight win, improved to 17-8 overall and 12-6 in the NE10. The Falcons moved back into a tie for second in the conference, two games back of St. Michael's (18-6, 14-4), which was ranked 20^th in this week's NCAA Division II media poll.'

The Falcons, 11-1 at home this season, took charge early and rarely let up. A run of 12 straight, which included four by McClure and three-balls from senior guard Aaron Latham (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury HS) and sophomore forward Joe Carroll (Cedar Grove, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) made it 20-7 seven-and-a-half minutes into the contest.

After the Purple Knights closed to within ten, Bentley finished the first half up 16, 42-26, after scoring eight of the final ten points. Laput connected from mid-range, Carroll converted a traditional three-point play and graduate wing Kellan Bochenek (Kettering, Ohio/ Fairmont HS) sank a triple from the right side.

A Bochenek trey and a three-point play from senior forward Ivan Misic (Toronto, Ont.) produced the first 20-point lead of the night, 53-33 with 16:14 remaining.

The Falcon advantage peaked at 30, 70-40, with 11:21 to play following a string of ten unanswered by the home team. Bochenek hit a three from the left wing, Latham and McClure followed with lay-ups and Laput drained a triple from the right wing.

St. Michael's scored nearly a quarter of their points during the final six minutes of the contest.

McClure (8 of 12) and Laput (8 of 15) did more than just score. McClure's night also included seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block, and Laput had eight assists, five rebounds and a steal.

Bochenek sank five three-pointers during a 15-point night and Latham provided 14 points, six rebounds, six assists and two blocks. Carroll added ten points off the bench.

Junior guard Jhamyl Fricus (Lawrence), in a non-starting role, led St. Michael's with 17 points and five offensive rebounds.

Bentley posted a field goal percentage of .500 or better for the eighth time this season, finishing at .532 overall. Coach Jay Lawson's team was 11 of 25 from deep and perfect on its seven free throw attempts.

On the other hand, St. Michael's was limited to 36 percent, including just 7 of 25 from distance.

On Saturday, Bentley will be in Albany, N.Y. to take on The College of Saint Rose.