WALTHAM, Mass. – After securing the number five seed out of the Northeast Division when sophomore All-Conference guard Ryan Richmond (Toronto, Ont./Thomson Collegiate) connected from deep with 1.8 seconds in the regular season finale, the Bentley University men's basketball team will carry a three-game winning streak into Friday's first round Northeast-10 Conference tournament game at Adelphi University.

Tip-off between the Falcons and Panthers at the Center for Recreation and Sport is set for 7 pm. A free webcast will be available at aupanthers.tv.

In addition to three straight wins, Bentley (14-12) has won five of its last six and is an impressive 10-5 since Christmas. Coach Jay Lawson's team, which has assured itself of a 21st winning record in the last 22 seasons, has posted wins over the top three teams in the Northeast Division this month after knocking off Southwest Division top seed Le Moyne a month ago.

Adelphi, the number four seed from the Southwest, has lost its last two game, including a 92-80 decision to American International Tuesday, and is 4-7 since besting Bentley in OT in mid-January, 88-82. At that point, the Panthers owned a 13-4 overall record.

In the earlier meeting between the two six weeks ago, a game also played at the CSR, six-foot-ten Adelphi junior Manny Suarez buried a long three from the right wing with 14.1 seconds left to force an extra five minutes. He also hit a go-ahead three in OT, accounting for the game's 11th lead change, and finished with 30 points on 13-of-19 shooting.

Richmond, tied for third in the NE10 overall at 21.7, has tallied over 24 points a game since the calendar switched to 2017. He's made 10 of 18 threes during the current winning streak while helping the Falcons put up 93, 91and 86 on the scoreboard.

Senior guard Matt Barr (Stratham, N.H./Cushing Academy) has given the Falcons 13.6 points a game  this month, raising his season norm to 10.5. Included were the first two 20-point games of his college career, against Merrimack Tuesday and at St. Michael's six days earlier.

Junior forward Brandon Wheeler (Stamford, Conn./Trinity Catholic HS) is coming off a 19-point effort against Merrimack with his averages now at 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds, the latter fifth best in the conference.

Senior guard Ferguson Duke (Dartmouth, N.S./Hun School (N.J.)) and sophomore forward Kyle Bouchard (Houlton, Maine/Houlton HS) round out the starting five for coach Jay Lawson's team. Duke has averaged nearly 11 points over the last ten games and Bouchard has given the Falcons eight a game since his return to the lineup six games ago when second-leading scorer Zach Gilpin (Hampden,  Maine/ Hampden Academy) was injured.

Adelphi had four of its players recognized by the NE10 when the All-Conference team was announced earlier today. Suarez joined Richmond on the second team, junior guard Michael Coffey was tabbed for the third team, sophomore Jack Laffey received honorable mention recognition and Austin Beech was an All-Rookie selection.

Coffey and Leach are two of the conference's top ten scorers, putting up 20.7 and 17.3 respectively. Suarez tops the NE10 in blocks (1.9) while also ranking fourth in rebounds (9.1) and 11th in scoring (16.8). Beach scores just under ten a game with his field goal percentage (66.0) a conference-best.

Bentley (4th, 81.2) and Adelphi (2nd, 85.7) are two of the top four scoring teams in the conference.

The winner of Friday's game will advance to play a quarterfinal game at Southern New Hampshire Sunday at 3 pm. If it's Bentley, it would be a rematch of last year's championship game, won by the Penmen 90-87.

In the other first round game, Merrimack is hosting New Haven for the right to play Le Moyne.

2017 NORTHEAST-10 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

First Round ­- Friday, February 24^th    

Game 1:  New Haven (No. 5 seed SW) at Merrimack (No. 4 seed NE) – 7:00 PM
Game 2:  Bentley (No. 5 seed NE) at Adelphi (No. 4 seed SW) – 7:00 PM 

Quarterfinals -­ Sunday, February 26^th

Game 3:  Game 1 winner at Le Moyne (No. 1 seed SW) – 3:00 PM
Game 4:  Game 2 winner at Southern New Hampshire (No. 1 seed NE) – 3:00 PM
Game 5:  Franklin Pierce (No. 3 seed NE) at Saint Rose (No. 2 seed SW) – 3:00 PM
Game 6:  Southern Connecticut (No. 3 seed SW) at Saint Anselm (No. 2 seed NE) – 3:00 PM

Semifinals ­ Wednesday, March 1^st(at highest seeds remaining):

Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 3 winner (7:00 PM)
Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 4 winner (7:00 PM) 

Championship ­ Saturday, March 4^th(at highest seed remaining):

Game 9:  Game 8 winner vs. Game 7 winner (1:00 PM)