WALTHAM, Mass. – A game-ending 7-0 run, which included a go-ahead jumper from freshman guard Ella Thompson (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS), lifted Bentley University to a 71-68 win over nationally-ranked Saint Anselm College in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball Saturday afternoon at the Dana Center.

Bentley, which extended its winning streak to six despite holding the lead for only three minutes and 15 seconds, improved to 10-3 overall and took sole possession of first in the NE10 Northeast Division with a 5-0 conference record. Saint Anselm, ranked fourth and sixth in the most recent national rankings, dropped to 8-3 overall and 4-1 NE10.

Junior guard Katie Meriggioli (Waunakee, Wisc./Edgewood HS) led Bentley with 15 points and both Thompson and sophomore guard Kari Brekke (Appleton, Wisc./Appleton North HS) followed with 13. Thompson, the most recent NE10 Rookie of the Week, also had six rebounds and four assists in 30 turnover-free minutes.

The Falcons, who had trailed 63-56 with 5:57 left, ran off eight in a row to take a one-point lead with 2:51 left. Both senior forward Monica Viapiano (Holden/Holy Name HS) and Thompson both made two free throws, Meriggioli scored a second-chance basket and graduate forward Megan Lewis (Sevenoaks, England) hit a spinning lay-up for the lead.

Saint Anselm answered back with five points in only 18 seconds, all scored by junior guard Grace Guachione (Pittsfield). She buried a three-ball from the top of the key, blocked a shot and followed with a fast-break lay-up.

Now down four as the clock dipped under two minutes, Bentley began its comeback with a ten-foot runner by Brekke. Lewis made one of two at the line and the Falcons got the ball back after a shot clock violation.

Following a timeout with 31.9 seconds, Thompson inbounded to Viapiano, who gave it back to the freshman on a handoff. Thompson then hit a 16-footer for a 69-68 lead with 27 seconds left.  Lewis came up with a steal under the Hawk basket with ten seconds left and made two more free throws with 8.7 seconds left. Saint Anselm junior guard Peyton Steinman (Pittsfield) threw up an off-balanced three as the clock wound down but it was off the mark.

The comeback was the second of the afternoon for Bentley, which faced a 9-0 deficit three minutes in. Still down nine with 2:50 left in the second quarter, the Falcons ran off 11 straight to take their first lead of the day. That surge included three points and a steal from Meriggioli and a straightaway three from Thompson for a 33-31 advantage late in the first half.

There were nine ties and three lead changes in a third quarter that ended with the score knotted at 53. Junior center Erin Nolan (Binghamton, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley HS) provided a spark off the bench, scoring all six of her points during the quarter with each of her three baskets tying the game.

Meriggioli made six of 11 shots with a pair of three-pointers and also had three steals. Brekke hit half of her 12 shot attempts and came up with two takeaways. Thompson was five of six at the line, attempting twice as many as Saint Anselm did as a team.

Bentley also received nine points and eight rebounds from Saint Anselm and six points off the bench from sophomore guard Kolleen Bouchard (Houlton, Maine/Houlton HS).

Steinman led Saint Anselm with 18 points, but Hawk senior center Shannon Ryan (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) was limited to 11 points and seven rebounds before fouling out with 1:38 left. Those numbers were less than half her season norms of 25.3 points and 14.7 rebounds.

Both teams shot about the same (Bentley .424, Saint Anselm .426) and rebounds were similar (37-35 Hawks). Free throws heavily favored the Falcons, who were 14 of 17.

Next up for Bentley is a Wednesday night game at St. Michael's.