WALTHAM, Mass. – Sophomore forward Lauren Battista (North Easton/Oliver Ames HS) scored a team-high 12 points and five of her teammates combined for 10 three-pointers as Bentley University ran its home winning streak to 15 games with a 64-44 victory over The College of Saint Rose in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball Saturday afternoon at the Dana Center.

Bentley, ranked ninth in the latest USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II coaches poll, improved to 14-2 overall and 10-1 in the NE-10, maintaining a one-game lead over a trio of teams (Southern New Hampshire, Pace, Southern Connecticut). Saint Rose, the eighth team this season that the Falcons have held under 50, fell to 9-6 overall and 6-5 conference.

After Saint Rose All-Conference guard Ashley Rath (Victor, N.Y.) nailed a three to open the game's scoring, the next 12 points went up on the Bentley side of the scoreboard, giving the Falcons a lead it would never give up.  For the Falcons, that was the 14th time this season they've put together a run of at least 10 unanswered points.

Battista had four of the 12, sophomore guard Christiana Bakolas (Manchester, N.H./ Central HS) scored on a drive to the basket after a steal, and both sophomore forward Jacqui Brugliera (Fitchburg/Wachusett Reg. HS) and junior guard Courtney Finn (Winthrop/Winthrop HS) were on target from outside the three-point line.

Those two triples were the first of six for Bentley in the opening half, which ended with the home team up 10 (34-24) and the Falcons having as many three-balls as Saint Rose had field goals. Coach Barbara Stevens' club countered 14 turnovers and 12 fouls in the opening 20 minutes by limiting the visitors to 29 percent shooting before the break.

The differential remained in the low teens for most of the second half.  A Brugliera putback and a three from senior guard Katherine Goodwin (Goffstown, N.H./Governors Academy) opened the scoring once play resumed, and after Saint Rose followed with four points of its own, Goodwin and Finn each connected from the corner to make it a 45-28 game.

Saint Rose got back to within ten, 55-45, following a three from senior guard Ola Shajuyigbe (Albany, N.Y), with 7:06 left, but would manage only one more basket the rest of the way (1-for-8, four turns).  That drought enabled the Falcons to win going away, the final spread of 20 being their biggest of the game.

Battista (six rebounds) was joined in doubles by Goodwin and Brugliera, each with 11.  Goodwin connected on three of her five attempts from downtown, and Brugliera matched Battista in rebounds. Junior guard Kelsey Roberson (Arlington/Arlington Catholic HS) was productive off the bench (nine points, six rebounds, three assists), and Bentley also received two three-pointers from Finn (eight rebounds) and junior forward Caleigh Crowell (Harwich/Worcester Academy).

Rath paced Saint Rose with 13, more than five below her season norm, and Shajuyigbe followed with 10 points.

Neither team shot well (Bentley with a slight edge 36-35 percent) or was protective of the ball (43 combined turns, 24 by Saint Rose), but the Falcons made eight more threes and owned the boards, 45-28. Seventeen of Bentley's rebounds came at the offensive end, producing a 17-2 advantage in second-chance points.

Bentley is also at home on Tuesday, hosting Adelphi University at 5:30 pm.