WALTHAM, Mass. – After playing only once since Dec. 11, the Bentley University men's basketball team will be back in action Friday afternoon when it closes out the 2016 portion of the schedule by hosting the University of Bridgeport at the Dana Center. Game time for the Falcons' final non-conference game of the season is 3 pm with a free webcast at www.bentleyfalcons.tv.

Bentley and Bridgeport will enter the game with opposite records. The host Falcons are 4-7 with most of the team's success coming at home where they are 3-2. Meanwhile, the Purple Knights will make the trip from Connecticut with a 7-4 record, including 3-3 on the road.

Bentley is coming off an 88-82 loss at American International on Dec. 20, a game that saw junior forward Brandon Wheeler (Stamford, Conn./Trinity Catholic HS) put up a 14-point, 17-rebound double-double to power the Falcons and four teammates join him in double figures. His rebound total was the most by a Bentley player in seven years.

That list also included senior guard Matt Barr (Stratham, N.H./Cushing Academy), who knocked down six of eight triples for 18 points, and sophomore guard Ryan Richmond (Toronto, Ont./Thomson Collegiate), with a team-best 19. Off the bench, both sophomore Zach Gilpin (Hampden, Maine/ Hampden Academy) and freshman Chris Hudson (Hodgdon, Maine/Williston Northampton School) each scored ten.

Richmond will enter Friday's contest with an 18.8 scoring average, fifth best in the Northeast-10 Conference.   He's displayed an ability to get to the line with his 6.3 free throw attempts per game ranking fourth in the conference.

Wheeler, whose rebound average is up to 7.9 after a total of 28 in his last two games, is Bentley's other double-figure scorer at 10.5 a game. He's followed by Barr and Gilpin, at 9.8 and 9.7, respectively. Barr has been one of the NE-10's best in three-point shooting, knocking down 27 of 52 for a 52 percent success rate.

As a team, coach Jay Lawson's Falcons are third in the NE-10 in three-pointers (9.2) and steals (5.8) as well as fifth in scoring (79.8).

Bentley's defense will be tested by a Bridgeport team that has averaged 84.6 points overall and 88.6 in its seven wins. The Purple Knights started the season at 7-2 before dropping its last two, 74-70 to nationally-ranked Saint Thomas Aquinas and 87-83 to Saint Anselm.

Bridgeport features six-foot-nine center Kyle Benjamin, who is tied for the Division II lead in double-doubles with eight, including four in which he's exceeded 20 points. He's made 64 percent of his shots while averaging 16.3 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots.

Sophomore wing Rakim Lesane gives Bridgeport over 13 points a game off the bench, and six-foot-two junior Sam Joseph also scores in doubles, averaging 12.4 points.

Including Friday's game, Bentley will be at home for five of its next six. After facing the Purple Knights, the Falcons will be off until Jan. 7 when they resume Northeast-10 play against New Haven.