SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Senior guard Ella Thompson (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS) had 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists as the Bentley University Falcons won their fourth straight game, 64-42, in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball Saturday afternoon at Butova Gymnasium. The average margin during the streak has been 28 points.

Bentley, which held an opponent to 50 points or less for the sixth time, improved to 10-4 overall, including 7-1 conference, and remained in a three-way tie for first in the NE10 with Southern New Hampshire and their next opponent, Assumption.

Bentley went into the halftime break up eight, 33-25, following a second straight double-figure first half by Thompson, scoring from nine different players and a total of five three-pointers. Thompson, who had 13 before intermission Wednesday at Saint Rose, had ten against the Yellow Jackets and twice connected from long distance.

After AIC took its final lead of the game at 4-3, Bentley ran off six straight points to go up 10-4. The final three were scored by freshman post Ciara Norman (Roebling, N.J./Life Center Academy).

The Falcons opened up the game with a 13-0 burst sandwiched around the first quarter break. Thompson scored the final seven with two free throws, a foul line jumper and a top-of-the-key three-pointer. That made it a 21-8 game with 8:43 remaining in the second quarter.

A 14-3 start to the third quarter extended the Falcon advantage to 19 points, 47-28. The flurry included a floater by Thompson, a three-pointer by junior forward Maggie Whitmore (South Portland, Maine/ South Portland HS), a three-point play by sophomore guard Amanda Kabantu (Portland, Maine/Portland HS) and a pair of three-balls from graduate guard Kari Brekke (Appleton, Wis./Appleton HS).

AIC staged a rally and closed to within nine, 49-40, with 7:39 left in the fourth. However, the Falcons closed out the victory by outscoring the Jackets 15-2 the rest of the way. That included four points by Thompson and the final six by Whitmore.

Thompson was followed in the scoring column by Whitmore, who finished with 14 points and six boards. Brekke added eight and freshman guard Cassidy Yeomans (Marion/Tabor Academy) dropped in two triples for six points off the bench. All 11 Falcons who played scored and had at least one rebound.

Senior guard Kayla Robinson (Rosedale, N.Y.) led AIC (6-8, 4-4 NE10) with 13 points.

Bentley, which shot 39.6 percent and held the Yellow Jackets to 28 percent, outscored the home team 27-3 from outside the arc. The Falcons made 9 of 22 from deep and AIC was just 1-13.

Bentley also controlled the boards, 38-23, and had an 11-6 advantage in second-chance points.

Bentley will return home to host nationally-ranked Assumption University Wednesday at 5:30 pm.