NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Senior center Victoria Lux (Arundel, Maine/Thornton Academy) topped a list of five double-figure scorers, finishing with 17 points in 18 minutes, as the Bentley University women's basketball team improved to 2-0 with a 97-63 win over Georgian Court University in the finale of the season-opening Merrimack Conference Challenge Saturday night at Merrimack's Bert Hammel Court.

Lux was followed in the scoring column by senior guard Megan Lewis (Sevenoaks, England), who finished with 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Bentley, ranked No. 8 in Division II preseason, won every quarter in a game that saw the Falcons hold the lead for the final 37 minutes and maintain at least a 20-point advantage over the final 14 minutes.

Coach Barbara Stevens' team led 29-21 after one, 55-38 at the half and 74-54 in the third. The differential peaked at 36 in the final minute.

Strangely enough for a 34-point game, Bentley only had two more field goals and one more three-pointer than the Lions. The difference was largely at the foul stripe with the Falcons attempting 47 and making 36. In contrast Georgian Court got to the line only ten times, making seven.

To put that into perspective, four different Falcons made as many, or more, free throws than the Lions did as a team. Junior guard Julia Ford (Charlton/Nobles and Greenough) was eight of 10, Lux seven of 12 and both Lewis and sophomore center Erin Nolan (Binghamton, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley HS) were seven of eight.

Bentley also controlled the board, 46-36, and finished with a dozen less turnovers. Georgian Court loss the ball 27 times, 11 of those coming off Falcon steals.

Sophomore guard Katie Meriggioli (Waunakee, Wis./Edgewood HS) had a strong all-around game for Bentley as she finished with 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Ford and Nolan completed Bentley's quintet of double-figure scorers with each netting 11 off the bench.

GCU was paced by guard Jada Atchison with 23 points.

Bentley will remain on the road for a pair of games this week, beginning Wednesday when the Northeast-10 schedule gets underway at Stonehill College.