ALBANY, N.Y. – Senior All-America forward Jen Gemma (Milton, Mass./Fontbonne Academy) and junior guard Lauren Green (Damascus, Md./Damascus HS) each scored 16 points before sitting out the fourth quarter as Bentley University posted a 72-54 wire-to-wire victory in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball at the Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium Wednesday evening.

Bentley, with its fourth straight win, improved to 16-4 overall and 12-1 conference. The Falcons, ranked 20th in Division II by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, now lead the Northeast Division by four games. Saint Rose dropped to 11-8 overall, including 6-7 NE10.

Green and Gemma combined for 23 points in the first half, which ended with Bentley owning a 35-29 lead. The two accounted for all of the Falcons' second quarter points with Green scoring ten, including a rare four-point play, and Gemma scoring the other three.

Seven different Falcons scored in the first quarter with Gemma leading the way with seven. The visitors took advantage of a couple early steals to score the game's first four points and stayed in front the rest of the way.

Bentley opened the game up in the third quarter, outscoring the home team 27-12 to take a commanding 62-41 lead into the final stanza.  Included was an 18-4 run, capped by a three-pointer from sophomore guard Amy McConnell (South Windsor, Conn./South Windsor HS), that extended a five-point advantage to 19, 58-39.

Junior guard Trevena Bennett (Union, N.J./Gill St. Bernard School) came up big in the quarter, scoring nine points without missing a shot (one three-pointer, one two-pointer and four free throws). As a team, the Falcons made 9 of 14 and limited the Golden Knights to 5 of 16.

Bentley's lead peaked at 23, 64-41, when sophomore forward Victoria Lux (Arundel, Maine/ Thornton Academy) opened the fourth-quarter scoring with a pair of free throws.

Four of Green's five baskets were from three-point land and she also helped out with two assists. Gemma, five of nine from the floor and six of seven from the line, also contributed nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

Bennett and Lux also scored in doubles, finishing with 11 and 10, respectively. Bennett also had four assists and Lux completed her first double-double of the season with a game-high ten rebounds.

Sophomore guard Ashley Vanderwall (Palmyra, N.Y.) led Saint Rose with 11 points, on just 5-of-13 shooting.

All the shooting stats favored the visitors  with Bentley hitting at a 43 percent overall, making six three-pointers and sinking 18 of 20 free throws. Saint Rose was limited to only 34 percent with three triples, and the Golden Knights attempted only 13 free throws, making 11.

Bentley had a 39-32 rebound advantage and also finished with more points off turnovers, 17-12, even though both clubs gave it up 18 times.

The Falcons will travel again Saturday for a 1:30 pm game at Southern Connecticut State.