WALTHAM, Mass. – Northeast-10 Conference play for the Bentley University men's basketball team will resume on Saturday afternoon when the Falcons host the University of New Haven in their first game of 2017. Tip-off is slated for 3:30 pm with a free webcast at www.bentleyfalcons.tv.

The encounter with the Chargers will only the be third for the Falcons since Dec. 11 with games separated by nine, ten and eight days. Those lengthy layoffs will be a thing of the past after Saturday with Bentley playing every three or four days for the remainder of the regular season.

Bentley, 5-7 overall and 2-5 Northeast-10, is coming off an 81-74 win over the University of Bridgeport , the Falcons' fourth win in six Dana Center appearances this season. Coach Jay Lawson's team limited the Purple Knights to 39 percent shooting and only six three-pointers while winning the rebounding battle for the third straight game.

New Haven, 7-6 overall and 2-5 NE10, dropped a 68-65 loss to Merrimack Wednesday in its first NE10 cross-division game of the season. The Chargers, who are only 1-4 on the road this season, had a 16-point first-half lead before being outscored 42-23 over the final 22 minutes.

The Falcon win over Bridgeport featured a career-best 22 points from sophomore forward Zach Gilpin (Hampden, Maine/Hampden Academy), who was making only his second career start. He's produced 17.3 ppg over the last three while shooting 53 percent overall.

Gilpin was one of five Falcons to score at least nine points in the Bridgeport game, a list that also includes sophomore guard Ryan Richmond (Toronto, Ont./Thomson Collegiate) and junior forward Brandon Wheeler (Stamford, Conn./Trinity Catholic HS). Richmond owns averages of 18.8 points and 5.8 rebounds after giving the Falcons 16 and 7 against the Purple Knights.

Wheeler put up his second straight double-double (16 points, 15 boards), a stretch in which he's averaged 15 points and 16 rebounds. He leads the team in rebounding (8.5), field goal percentage (.539)  and steals (15) while providing 11 points a game.

Senior guard Ferguson Duke (Dartmouth, N.S./Hun School (N.J.)), who averages 9.5, is coming off an 11-point effort and junior forward Matt Turkington (Cromwell, Conn./Cromwell HS) established career bests with nine points (all from three-point land) and 16 minutes in the Bridgeport game.

Saturday's game will pit a Bentley team that ranks among the NE10's leaders in several offensive categories against a New Haven team that has excelled at the defensive end. The Falcons are third in three-pointers (9.1), fourth in three-point accuracy (.389) and sixth in scoring (79.9). On the other hand, the Chargers allow only 66.2 points and 6.1 three-balls, and limit the opponents to 28 percent shooting from deep.

Charleston Southern transfer and junior guard Danny Upchurch leads the New Haven offense, averaging 15.5 points and 6.4 assists, third most in the NE10. Also averaging in doubles for the Chargers are freshman guard Elijah Bailey and sophomore guard Michael Bourke, at 13.8 and 10.6, respectively.

New Haven starts a pair of six-foot-seven players, including freshman Kessly Felizor, the team's leading rebounder at 8.7.

Next week's schedule has the Falcons on Long Island Wednesday to take on Adelphi and back at home next Saturday against American International.