WALTHAM, Mass. – Bentley University senior guards Zach Laput (Beacon Falls, Conn./Notre Dame HS) and Aaron Latham (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury HS) combined for 48 points, but it wasn't enough as the Falcons fell to Southern Connecticut State, 88-78, in the quarterfinals of the Northeast-10 Conference Men's Basketball Championships Sunday afternoon on the Dana Center's Barbara Stevens Court.

It was the third straight loss and the second to the Owls in a six-day span for the 19-11 Falcons, who were the number three seed. Southern, the sixth-seed, used 57 percent shooting, including 11 of 21 from three, to improve to 21-9 and advantage to the NE10 semifinals.

The first half included seven ties and a half dozen lead changes before a lay-up from sophomore forward Cherif Diarra (Queens, N.Y.) with 2:46 left until the break put Southern in front to stay. That began an 8-2 spurt, which also included three-balls from junior guard Marty Silvera (Worcester) and junior guard Logan Bagshaw (Cumberland, Maine), and helped the Owls take a 43-38 halftime lead.

There were three Owl triples, including two from graduate guard Mason Williams (Voorhees, N.J.), during a 19-8 run that created the first significant separation of the game, 69-53 with 8:35 to play. At that juncture, Southern was shooting better than 60 percent, both from deep and overall.

An 8-1 run, which included six points from Latham, brought the Falcons within nine, 76-67 with just under four to play. Southern scored the next four and remained in control the rest of the way.

Six Owls scored at least nine points with six-seven graduate student Josh McGettigan (Southbury, Conn.) and Silvera leading the way with 20 and 19 points respectively. Southern had five players connect from deep. Including a 3-for-4 effort by Willams and 3-for-6 off the bench from junior guard Sean James (West Hartford, Conn.).

Laput finished with 28 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals for the Falcons, and moved past Derek Dixon '87 into Bentley's all-time top ten scorers (1,655).

Latham followed with 20 points with his 6-of-10 shooting including a pair of three-pointers. Sophomore forward Joe Carroll (Cedar Grove, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) added 11 points off the bench. Second-year guard Cash McClure (Readfield, Maine/Maranacook HS) contributed nine rebounds and six assists, but was held to only four points.

Bentley shot nearly 49 percent in the first half, but was held to .382 in the second, including only four three-pointers in 15 attempts. The Falcons turned it over just seven times and scored 16 second chance points, but that wasn't enough to counter Southern's superior shooting.

Bentley will now have to wait until next Sunday night's NCAA Division II selection show to see if its season will continue.

Elsewhere, number one St. Michael's was the only top four team to advance, with a 70-67 win over Assumption. Pace was ousted by Southern New Hampshire, 83-76, and Saint Anselm won at Adelphi, 80-71.