WALTHAM, Mass. – The Bentley University women's basketball team will put the Northeast-10's best conference record on the line Wednesday when the Falcons host The College of Saint Rose at the Dana Center. Tipoff is set for 5:30 pm and like all conference games, can be viewed over the NE10 NOW Digital Network.

Bentley, which has won ten of its last 11 to improve to 13-4 overall, is 8-1 in conference play and owns a one-game lead over both Saint Anselm and Stonehill in the NE10's Northeast Division. The Falcons, ranked 20th in this week's D2SIDA media poll, are coming off a 74-61 win over Pace University, which is tied for second in the Southwest Division.

Saint Rose, 7-9 overall, has a conference record of 2-7, which puts the Golden Knights is a tie for sixth in the Southwest. The Golden Knights have dropped back-to-back games after beginning January with three straight wins.

In Saturday's win at Pace, coach Barbara Stevens' Falcons built leads of 25-9 after the opening quarter, 48-25 at the half and 60-37 following three. The starting five all shot at least .500 from the field and combined for 67 points, including 18 in 19 minutes from senior center Monica Viapiano (Holden/Holy Name HS) and 17 from sophomore guard Kari Brekke (Appleton, Wisc./Appleton North HS).

Viapiano, one of three NE10 players shooting at least .570 from the field, leads Bentley in both scoring and rebounds, averaging 14.8 points and 6.5 rebounds. She's totaled 75 points in the last four games while making 30 of 44 shots.

Brekke, who has had at least one steal in eight straight games, is next on the Bentley scoring list at nearly 12 points per game.

Graduate forward Megan Lewis (Sevenoaks, England) has averaged 12 points and 7.4 rebounds over the last eight games, a stretch in which she's buried 16 of 28 three-pointers.

Guards Katie Meriggioli (Waunakee, Wisc./Edgewood HS) and Ella Thompson (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS), who average 9.3 and 8.2 points respectively, round out the usual starting five. Meriggioli is tied with Lewis for second on the team in rebounds (5.9) and Thompson has a team-best 65 assists.

Off the bench, junior center Erin Nolan (Binghamton, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley HS) has provided at least six points in four of five January games.

As a team, Bentley is fifth in the conference in scoring (68.2), scoring defense (58.5) and scoring margin (+9.7). The Falcons are one of only two teams in the top five of all three categories, with Pace the other.

Longtime Saint Rose coach Karen Haag has started the same starting five In every game this season with her lineup including three seniors. Her top scorers have been the frontcourt tandem of Leah Dollard and Nine Fedullo.

Dollard, a senior, tops the list at 12.8 points per game and has twice scored 24 in non-conference action. Fedullo, a junior, has put up back-to-back double-doubles, raising her production to 12.6 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Becca Townes (9.7 ppg) is the team leader in three-pointers with 21 and senior Takora McIntyre is among the conference leaders in steals (43).

Saint Rose is 11th in the conference in scoring offense and 12th in scoring defense. Turnovers have been an issue for the Golden Knights as they lose the ball 19.5 times a game.

 Bentley has won eight of the last nine meetings with the Golden Knights, including 75-66 last season out in Albany. In that one, Amy McConnell led the Falcons with 18 points and the Falcons received 24 points from its bench.

After taking on Saint Rose, Bentley will be back on the road, for games at American International Saturday and Le Moyne Tuesday.