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Tyler McFarland
Tyler McFarland

No. 21 Bentley Falls to St. Michael's as Valiant Comeback Falls Short

WALTHAM, Mass. – The trio of six-foot-seven junior James Cambronne (De Bary, Fla.), junior guard Corey Crawford II (Dover, Del.) and freshman forward Matt Bonds (Accokeek, Md.) combined for 58 points, 24 rebounds and a .656 field goal percentage as St. Michael's College topped Bentley University, 92-82, in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball Saturday afternoon at the Dana Center.

The loss was the second straight for Bentley since the Falcons moved into the Division II top 25 earlier this week at number 21, and left both teams at 7-2 overall. In NE-10 action, the Falcons are 4-2 and the Purple Knights are 3-2.

Bentley matched St. Michael's with four double-figure scorers, but didn't shoot as well, hitting only 37 percent overall. The Falcons connected 15 times from downtown but were just 12 of 35 on their two-point attempts.

Sophomore forward Tyler McFarland (Rockport, Maine/Camden Hills HS) topped the scoring list for Bentley with 19 points, all but five coming in the second half, and senior guard Jasper Grassa (Lynn/Lynn Classical HS) followed with 18, including 16 after intermission. Sophomore guard Alex Furness (Wells, Maine/Wells HS) and junior forward Andrew Shaw (Saco, Maine/Thornton Acad.) each contributed 13.

Down 19 (80-61) with 6:40 left to play, Bentley stormed back with a 22-7 burst  that make it a five-point game, 84-79 with 2:40 left. That explosion included ten points by Grassa and three-balls from McFarland and junior guard JP Koury (Red Bank, N.J./CBA). During the run, Grassa was fouled twice while attempting a three and converted all six free throws, and it was his trifecta from the left side that made it a five-point spread.

Following a St. Michael's turn, Bentley had a chance to make it a one-possession game, but McFarland's inside shot didn't fall. A lay-up by Bonds pushed St. Michael's lead to seven with 1:45 left and two free throws by junior Dom Ditlefsen (Portland, Ore.) made it 88-79 with 52.5 seconds remaining. McFarland buried his fifth trey of the day with 44.4 seconds left before four free throws iun the final 39 seconds sealed the win for the visitors.

With Bentley struggling to make shots for the second straight game, St. Michael's seized control with a 18-5 run that made it 38-23 with 5:40 left on the first-half clock. Crawford and Ditlefsen each accounted for seven during that stretch.

The difference was 16 at the half, 47-31, and it remained in doubles until the late Falcon run.

McFarland, who achieved his five treys in only seven attempts, also had seven rebounds, two steals and a block. Grassa's line included five assists and two steals, and Furness was 5-of-8 from the field. Koury helped out with eight points, six rebounds, four steals and four assists.

Cambronne powered St. Michael's with 22 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, and both Bonds (9 rebounds) and Crawford (7 boards, 6 assists) finished with 18 points.

St. Michael's shot 54 percent overall, including 10 of 23 from three, and dominated the boards, 45-31. That more than offset Bentley having only seven turns, half of St. Michael's total.

Bentley will look to get back on the winning track Tuesday when it travels to Rindge, N.H. to face the conference's first 10-win team, Franklin Pierce.