WALTHAM, Mass. – Bentley University sophomore forward Tyler McFarland (Rockport, Maine/ Camden Hills HS) led five double-figure scorers with 24 points, but it wasn't enough to offset Franklin Pierce University's 13 three-pointers and 19-8 advantage in points off turnovers as the Ravens held off the Falcons, 93-84, in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball Tuesday evening at The Field House.

Franklin Pierce, which moved into the NABC Division II top 25 earlier in the day at number 24, improved to 11-1 overall and 6-1 in the conference. Bentley, despite shooting 50 percent overall and making 9-of-19 three-pointers, dipped to 7-3 overall and 4-3 NE-10.

After nine lead changes in the first 17 minutes, Franklin Pierce embarked on a 21-6 run in a seven-and-a-half minute span surrounding halftime, turning a two-point Falcon lead, 39-37, into a 58-45 advantage for the home team. Bentley had shot 64 percent up until that juncture but was off the mark on 11 of 13 shots during that stretch.

Bentley spent the rest of the contest trying to catch up but could never get it to a one-possession game.  The Falcons got within five at 60-55 with 13:20 left after five unanswered from junior forward Andrew Shaw (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy), and closed to within five again at 85-80 with 1:41 to play.

Franklin Pierce held off the Falcon comeback bid by hitting eight of 12 free throws in the final 70 seconds, including four in four-and-a-half seconds by senior guard Andre Blackwood (Paterson, N.J.).

In the back-and-forth first half, Bentley's biggest lead was three points, at 14-11 with 14:14 left following a 10-3 spurt and at 37-34 with 3:12 after a 19-4 burst that erased a 12-point Franklin Pierce lead. Four different players contributed points during the 10-3 run while sophomore forward Shaq Phelps (Linden, N.J./Linden HS) netted seven of the 19 points during the second.

McFarland, who had 15 of his 24 in the first half, made 11 of 14 shots and also pitched in with two steals, two assists and a block. Grassa followed with 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Shaw matched Grassa's three trifectas during a 13-point, seven-rebound performance and Phelps came off the bench for 13, his most productive game of the season. Sophomore guard Alex Furness (Wells, Maine/Wells HS) completed the quintet of double-digit scorers for the Falcons with 10 points.

Franklin Pierce had a balanced attack with four players combining for 66 points and 14 assists. Six-foot-eight senior Adrianos Vourliotakis Perdikaris (Athens, Greece) and sophomore guardTyler Iacuone (Mahopac, N.Y.) each finished with 17 points and the Ravens also received 16 points and five assists from both senior forward Ellis Cooper (Northampton, Mass.) and junior forward Ryen Vilmont (Philadelphia, Pa.). Vouliotakis had six of his points during the fast start to the second and finished seven-of-eight from the field.

Shooting percentage (FPU .508, Bentley .500) and rebounds (38-37 Falcons) were nearly identical, and both teams finished with 32 field goals. However, the Ravens had four more threes and five more free throws, in addition to five less turnovers.

Bentley's only remaining game this month is at home Dec. 21 against Goldey-Beacom.