WALTHAM, Mass. -- Freshman forward Lauren Battista (North Easton/Oliver Ames HS) had 16 points, six rebounds and five assists, and senior guard Kim Brennan (Locust Valley, N.Y./Locust Valley HS) also scored 16, as Bentley University reached the 20-win plateau for the 26th time in the last 28 seasons with a 73-56 victory over Southern New Hampshire University in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball Saturday afternoon at the Dana Center.

The Senior Day and Pink Day victory boosted Division II's 17th-ranked team to 20-3 overall and 17-2 in the Northeast-10. Coupled with Saint Anselm's 58-54 upset of second-place Franklin Pierce, it also gave the Falcons a two-game lead in the conference standings with three to play.

Battista and Brennan, who became the first player in the program's rich history to eclipse 4,000 career minutes played and moved into eighth on Bentley's all-time scoring list (1,574 points), topped a list of five double-figure scorers for the Falcons. Junior guard Katherine Goodwin (Goffstown, N.H./ Governors Academy) followed with 12, and both freshman forward Jacqui Brugliera (Fitchburg/ Wachusett Reg. HS) and junior forward Shatasia Kearse (Framingham/Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. HS) each scored 10.

Kearse also led Bentley in rebounds with seven, and Brugliera's day included six rebounds and six steals.

With the Penmen committing nine turnovers in the game's first 6:25, Bentley took advantage early, opening a 14-6 with 10 of the 14 points coming as a direct result of the turns. Battista had five during that stretch and four others contributed scoring as well.

After Southern New Hampshire (10-13, 8-11 NE-10) battled back to get within one, Bentley responded with a 10-2 spurt to make it a 33-24 game with two-plus minutes left in the first half.  All 10 came on lay-ups with both Battista and Kearse making two.

Bentley gradually opened the game up throughout the second half with runs of 6-0, 7-0, and 9-0 making it a 20-point differential, 65-45 with 5:37 left. A pair of Goodwin baskets finished the final spurt and gave the conference-leading Falcons their biggest lead of the afternoon.

Brennan, who finished the game with 4,032 career minutes, delivered four assists and was perfect at the line, making 10 of 10. In fact, she made as many free throws made as SNHU did as a team. Bentley finished 19 of 21 from the stripe while the Penmen attempted only 13.

Sophomores Michelle DeRoma (West Roxbury) and Sloane Sorrell (Berwick, Maine) led the Penmen in scoring with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Both teams shot very well in the first half, which ended with the Falcons up eight at 38-30, before tailing off in the second. Bentley finished at 49 percent after hitting the break at .593. and SNHU (.420 overall) dropped from 52 percent before intermission to 30 percent after.

Bentley committed six fewer turnovers (17-23) and enjoyed a 22-14 edge in points off turns.

Bentley closes out its home schedule on Wednesday with a 5:30 pm encounter with UMass-Lowell.

At Waltham, Mass. (Dana Center)

BENTLEY 73, SO. NEW HAMPSHIRE 56

SO. NEW HAMPSHIRE (10-13, 8-11 NE10) -- Michelle DeRoma 4-11 0-0 11; Sloane Sorrell 5-11 0-0 10; Julia Houghtaling 2-4 4-5 8; Megan Spanarkel 2-2 3-4 7; Christine Duffy 3-5 0-0 6; Megan Smith 3-6 0-0 6; Libby Cullerot 1-4 0-0 3; Magdala Johnson 0-2 2-2 2; Deborah LaValley 1-4 0-0 2; Kelly Chergey 0-0 1-2 1; Victoria Wiseman 0-0 0-0 0; Morgan Munson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-49 10-13 56.

BENTLEY (20-3, 17-2 NE-10) -- Lauren Battista 6-12 3-4 16; Kim Brennan 3-7 10-10 16; Katherine Goodwin 5-10 0-0 12; Jacqui Brugliera 4-9 2-2 10; Shatasia Kearse 4-8 2-2 10; Courtney Finn 2-4 2-3 7; Christiana Bakolas 1-1 0-0 2; Ashley Saia 0-0 0-0 0; Meghan Thomann 0-0 0-0 0; Caralyn Hart 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-51 19-21 73.

Halftime: B 38-30; 3-point goals--SNH 4-12 (DeRoma 3-6; Cullerot 1-3; Duffy 0-1; Johnson 0-1; LaValley 0-1), B 4-12 (Goodwin 2-4; Finn 1-3; Battista 1-1; Brugliera 0-2; Brennan 0-2). Fouled out--Brugliera, Battista. Rebounds--SNH 28 (Duffy 6), B 31 (Kearse 7). Assists--SNH 15 (Duffy 5), B 17 (Battista 5). Total fouls--SNH 19, B 17. Technical fouls--None