MANCHESTER, N.H. – A sizzling shooting performance that included 10 of 15 from three-point land propelled Southern New Hampshire University to an 81-62 win over Bentley University in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action Wednesday night.

Sophomore Rodney Sanders (Linden, N.J.) led the Penmen with 21 points and junior guard Keegan Hyland (South Portland, Maine/South Portland HS) put up the same number, a career-best, for Bentley in his first collegiate start.

The outcome left both teams deadlocked for fourth in the NE-10 Northeast Division standings, both with 10-9 conference records, with two regular season games left. Overall, Bentley, which had been ranked eighth in this week's NCAA Division II East Regional rankings, fell to 16-9 and SNHU improved to 13-10.

There were two extended runs by the Penmen that proved to be the difference in the end. They jumped out to a 25-10 start and put the contest away with an 18-4 second-half barrage that extended a seven-point lead to 21 with less than five minutes to play.

The opening salvo saw SNHU make 10 of 16 shots, with three trifectas. Junior Aleksandar Dobrovic (Podgorica, Montenegro) had six during that opening nine minutes and both Sanders and junior Elijah Bonsiignore (Felton, Del.) followed with five.

A late 13-3 run by Bentley reduced an 18-point deficit to eight before Sanders beat the halftime buzzer with a top-of-the-key three to send his team to the locker room up 11, 44-33. That Falcon run included two three-pointers from senior guard Jasper Grassa (Lynn/Lynn Classical HS), who connected three times from downtown in the game and is now just three shy of the Bentley career record (276).

The SNHU lead dropped to six when Grassa and Hyland connected on back-to-back threes, making it a 50-44 game with 16 minutes left.

Bentley was still within seven, 59-52, with 12:24 on the clock after Hyland came up with a steal near midcourt and took it in for a lay-up.  The Falcons managed only two baskets over the next eight minutes while the Penmen were connecting three times from three and made six straight shots overall. Included during that stretch were the only two baskets of the night by junior Phillip Tripodakis (Athens, Greece), both three-balls from the right corner.

Hyland, in addition to the 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, finished with four rebounds, three steals, two assists and a block. Grassa followed with 13 and sophomore guard Alex Furness (Wells, Maine/Wells HS) added 10. The Falcon post players were kept in check all night, managing only 10 points on 4-of-15 accuracy.

Sanders led Southern New Hampshire's 60 percent shooting by making eight of ten, including three of five from outside the arc. Dobrovic finished with 13 and Bonsignore had a ten-point, six-rebound, three-block night.

Bentley shot just 41 percent overall and 35 percent from three, making only seven of 20 from outside. The Falcons were outscored 15-11 at the line and lost the rebounding battle by one, 28-27. The one stat that did favor the visitors was points off turnovers, with a 23-13 advantage.

Bentley will look to get back on the winning track Saturday when it hosts Stonehill College Saturday on Senior Day.