MANCHESTER, N.H. – Sophomore forward Lauren Battista (North Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames HS) matched her career-high with 23 points and the Falcons limited the Hawks to 31 percent shooting as Bentley University remained unbeaten with a 59-46 win over Saint Anselm College in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball at Stoutenburgh Gym Sunday afternoon.

Bentley, ranked second in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA coaches' poll, improved to 5-0 overall for the first time in 14 years and ran its conference record to 3-0. Saint Anselm, after a 5-0 start to the season, dropped its second straight and dipped to 1-2 in the NE-10.

After a slow start which saw Bentley fall behind by as many as five points for the first time all season, the Falcons ran off 12 straight to take a lead they would never give up. Three-pointers from senior guard Meghan Thomann (Andover, Mass./Andover HS) and junior guard Courtney Finn (Winthrop, Mass./Winthrop HS) ignited the surge, and it continued with two lay-ups by Battista and one from junior guard Kelsey Roberson (Arlington, Mass./Arlington Catholic HS) sandwiched in between Battista's two.

That 12-0 run (the seventh time this season Bentley has scored at least 10 unanswered) grew into a larger 20-1 burst as Saint Anselm went more than eight minutes without a field goal, a stretch in which the Hawks missed 12 consecutive shots and committed four turnovers.

The 20-1 ended the way it started, with Thomann connecting from beyond the arc to make it a 14-point lead, 27-13. 

Bentley scored only two more points the rest of the first half, but still managed to go into the break up a dozen at 29-17 after holding the Hawks to 22 percent shooting, including just two baskets in the final 12 minutes.

The Falcons' second half lead peaked at 17 a couple times, the first at 50-33 with 8:32 following a personal 6-0 run by Battista. She made two free throws, drove to the basket for two, and scored off a fall-away jumper.

Saint Anselm battled back, closing to within nine, 54-45, when sophomore Ashley Viselli (Groveland, Mass.) drained a corner three with 2:27 left. However, the Hawks scored only one more point the rest of the way, and Bentley locked up the W with two free throws by Roberson and a three-point play by Battista during the final minute-and-a-half.

Battista, who previously scored 23 points in last year's visit to Saint Anselm, shot 9 of 13 from the field and was perfect on five trips to the foul stripe. She also collected six rebounds, all at the defensive end.

Thomann and Roberson were the only other Falcons to score more than five points as they finished with eight and seven, respectively. Roberson's line also included four assists, four steals and three rebounds.

Like Bentley, Saint Anselm had just one player score in doubles, senior guard Epiphany Smith (Springdale, Ark.) with 14 points on 5-of-20 shooting. Senior forward Megan Howard (St. Paul, Minn.), who entered the game averaging a double-double, was limited to eight points and five boards.

Bentley shot better overall, hitting 38.5 percent (including nearly 50 percent from two) to the Hawks' 31 percent. Both teams got to the line 19 times with the Falcons much more effective, hitting 16. Saint Anselm misfired on ten of its charity tosses.

Bentley will be back in action Wednesday with a 5:30 pm home game against St. Michael's.