WALTHAM, Mass. – Sophomore guard Jasper Grassa (Lynn/Lynn Classical HS) netted 14 of his 16 points in the second half as Bentley rebounded from an ice-cold start to score 46 points after intermission and edge visiting Assumption College, 60-57, in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball Tuesday night at the Dana Center.

Bentley, despite having put only five points on the scoreboard in the game's first 16 minutes, ran its record to 10-2 overall (6-2 NE-10) and remained a game-back of first-place Adelphi University in the conference standings.  Assumption slipped back to .500 at 6-6 overall and 4-4 NE-10 following its fifth loss of the season by five points or less.

The Falcons, who trailed by as many as 16 in the first half and by 12 with about 13 minutes left on the second-half clock, used a 18-3 explosion to take their first lead of the evening, 44-41 with 7:30 left. Grassa began the comeback with a three-pointer, the only triple of the night for the NE-10 leader in that category.  Consecutive three-balls from freshman forward Andrew Shaw (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) and junior forward Dan O'Keefe (Lexington/Lexington HS) brought Bentley within three, 39-36, and three Grassa free throws with 8:04 left evened the game at 41-all.

After Assumption missed a pair from the free throw triple, Grassa drove to the basket for a three-point play, lifting Bentley to its first lead of the night (44-41) with 7:30 left.

The visitors twice regained a two-point lead, the last time with 4:43 left after a lay-up by freshman forward Jimmy Zenevitch (Methuen). Grassa was fouled 16 seconds later and he converted both, evening the score at 48-48.

That began a 10-3 Falcon run that included lay-ups by senior forward Kevin Kettl (Hershey, Pa./ Hershey HS , junior guard Greg Jacques (Brockton/St. Sebastian's HS) and O'Keefe and was capped by two free throws from senior guard Sam Leclerc (Fayette, Maine/Winthrop HS). Those two put Bentley up five, 56-51 with 1:53 left.

Baskets by junior forwards Tim Beinert (Bellerose Village, N.Y.) and Ronson Quick (Marlton, N.J.), sandwiched around a Falcon missed shot, brought Assumption back to within one, 58-57, with 7.6 seconds left.  Grassa sank two from the line with 6.3 seconds remaining to make it a three-point bulge, and a final three-point attempt by Quick just before the final buzzer was well off the mark.

Bentley took forever to get untracked offensively in this one, missing 20 of its first 22 shots.  As a result, the Falcons had only five points with four minutes left in the first half and needed baskets from Grassa and Leclerc in the final minute to go into the halftime break with 14 points, half of what Assumption had on the board.

Grassa, who overcame a 3-for-11 shooting night by making nine of 11 free throws, also provided six rebounds. O'Keefe (13 points, eight rebounds, three blocks) and Jacques (10 points, five assists, zero turnovers) also scored in doubles for the Falcons, and Shaw added eight points off the bench.

Assumption senior guard Kevin Donahue (Pawcatuck, Conn.) led all scorers with 23 points, most coming via five three-pointers. The Hounds (38 percent shooting) also received a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) from Beinert.

Bentley overcame its 33 percent shooting (21 percent first half, 42 percent second) by taking every good care of the basketball, committing a season-low six turnovers.  The Falcons also had the edge at the line, making 14 of 20 as compared to Assumption's six of 12.

Bentley is back in action Saturday with a 3:30 pm game at Pace University.