WALTHAM, Mass. – Sophomore forward Jate Cheshul (Galloway, N.J./Holy Spirit HS) made the tying and go-ahead free throws with 9.4 seconds left to cap a game-ending 13-2 run and give Bentley University a 61-60 win over Pace University in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball Saturday afternoon at the Dana Center.

Cheshul, who made his first start of the season, scored four of his eight points and also took a pair of charges, during the closing burst, and junior guard Jasper Grassa (Lynn/Lynn Classical HS) connected three times from downtown over that span as Bentley battled back from a 58-48 deficit with ten minutes to play.

Grassa, who scored 18 of his game-high 21 after intermission, ignited the run with a straightaway three with 4:58 left. A minute later, he buried a triple from the left corner, bringing the Falcons within four.

It stayed 58-54 for about a minute-and-a-half, until another Grassa triple, this one from the left wing and well back  of the arc, brought the Falcons to within one with 2:19 left. Following a missed three by the Setters and a Grassa defensive board, a put-back by Cheshul of a missed Grassa three put the Falcons in front for the first time since the opening minutes of the second half, 59-58.

At the other end of the court, Cheshul drew his second charge of the final four minutes, but Bentley couldn't take advantage on its ensuing possession, missing two free throws with 45.7 seconds left, keeping it a one-point game.

Pace regained the lead with 22.6 seconds left, on a short jumper by junior forward Jonathan Merceus (Union, N.J.) after Cheshul appeared to draw another charge but got no call. Cheshul's game-winning free throws followed, but the Setters still had one more chance.

After a Falcon timeout, Pace junior guard Denzel Primus-Devonish (Riverdale, Md.) missed a lay-up and a follow by Merceus, after his team's 15th offensive rebound of the game, was also off the mark, enabling Bentley to leave the court with the victory.

It was a streaky game throughout with both teams erasing double-digit deficits. Pace led 30-28 at the half following a 15-3 spurt over the final seven minutes. Bentley opened the game with an 11-4 run, Pace matched it to tie the game at 15, and the Falcons ran off ten unanswered to go up ten, 25-15.

In the second, the visitors used a 20-5 run to open a game-high 53-39 lead with a little less than ten minutes remaining. The Falcons answered by scoring the next six points, setting the stage for the strong finish.

Grassa, who matched his top scoring output of the season, knocked down five of ten from three and complemented his 21 points with four rebounds and two assists. Sophomore guard JP Koury (Red Bank, N.J./CBA) followed with 13 points, on five-of-six shooting, and freshman forward Tyler McFarland (Rockport, Maine/Camden Hills HS) was the third Falcon in doubles, with 10 points and seven rebounds. Senior guard Mike Topercer (Scottsdale, Ariz./New Hampton Prep) didn't score, but delivered a career-high eight assists, many coming on Grassa's three-balls.

Merceus powered the way for Pace with 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Primus-Devonish followed with 16 points. The Setters also received 14 points and five rebounds from senior forward Keon Williams (Hackensack, N.J.), with the trio combining for 51 of the team's 60 points.

Both teams shot about the same with Bentley hitting at a 46 percent success rate in the second half to finish at .407, .004 better than the Setters. The Falcons had a 9-1 advantage in three-pointers, with Pace offsetting that by controlling the boards, 41-30, and finishing with a 17-9 edge in second-chance points.

The outcome left both teams even in the conference standings at 4-5, with Bentley improving to 6-7 overall and Pace dropping to 7-6.

Bentley will also be at home on Tuesday night, with American International providing the opposition for the 7:30 pm contest.