MANCHESTER, Mass. – Graduate guard Becca Musgrove (Plainview, N.Y./St. Anthony's HS) scored a game-high 17 points, junior center Victoria Lux (Arundel, Maine/Thornton Academy) recorded her 11th double-double and Barbara Stevens matched North Carolina's Sylvia Hatchell for the fourth most wins in NCAA women's basketball history (1,004) as Bentley University held on for a 65-60 win over Saint Anselm College in Northeast-10 Conference action Saturday afternoon at Stoutenburgh Gym.

Bentley, which had dropped two of its last three, improved to 21-3 overall and 15-3 NE10 with the Falcons, number seven in the latest WBCA Division II coaches poll, remaining two games back of Stonehill College in the NE10's Northeast Division. Saint Anselm saw its four-game win streak halted with the Hawks falling to 15-10 (11-6 NE10).

A run of 10 straight midway through the fourth seemed to put the Falcons in control, 58-46, with four minutes to play. Senior guard Macchi Smith (Los Angeles, Calif./Windward School HS) made four free throws, junior guard Megan Lewis (Sevenoaks, England) scored an inside basket, senior guard Lauren Green (Damascus, Md./Damascus HS) hit a 14-footer and Lewis capped the run with a lay-up.

Saint Anselm responded with a 10-2 spurt, drawing within three at 60-57 following two free throws by six-four sophomore Samantha Ryan (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) with 17.4 seconds. After Smith answered with two from the stripe for Bentley, Ryan's second-chance three-point play with eight seconds remaining made it a two-point game, 62-60.

Bentley senior guard Trevena Bennett (Union, N.J./Gill St. Bernard School), 18 of 19 at the line on the season, was fouled and went to the stripe for two. She made the first and missed the second, but was fouled again while collecting the offensive rebound. This time, she made both, securing the win for the visitors.

Bentley carried a 16-4 lead into the second quarter after limiting the Hawks to just 2 for 15 shooting in the opening ten minutes. Meanwhile, Green had a pair of threes and sophomore guard Maddy Springfield (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant HS) pitched in with four off the bench for the Falcons.

After the Hawks pulled within five, Stevens' team closed the first half with a 7-3 spurt to go back up nine, 32-23.

The third quarter again saw the teams exchange runs, Bentley with six straight, including a triple from freshman forward Marissa Fontaine (Franklin, Mass./Bishop Feehan HS), and Saint Anselm with a 9-2 to close the quarter, making it a five-point spread after three, 46-41.

Musgrove amassed her 17 by connecting on 8 of 11 shots, and she also contributed with five rebounds, two assists and a steal.  Lux's line included 11 points, 13 rebounds and two block, and Green followed with nine points.

Ryan struggled through a 6-for-18 afternoon but still paced Anselm with 15 points, nine rebounds, four blocks and two steals.

Bentley had the shooting (45-36 percent) and rebound (42-33) advantages but turnovers, many unforced, were costly to the Falcons. They lost the ball 19 times, as compared to 11 for the Hawks, with Saint Anselm doubling the visitors in points off, 20-10.

The final two home games of the regular season are this coming week, Wednesday against St. Michael's (5:30 pm) and next Saturday against Merrimack (noon).