WALTHAM, Mass. – Junior guard Ryan Richmond (Toronto, Ont./Thomson Collegiate) continued his impressive scoring, finishing with 27 points, and sophomore forward Chris Hudson (Hodgdon, Maine/Northampton Williston School) followed with 19 as Bentley University remained in a tie for third in the Northeast Division with an 87-82 victory over Assumption College in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball at the Dana Center Saturday afternoon.

Bentley, which shot 65 percent over the first 28+ minutes while building a 70-50 lead, improved to 12-9 overall and 9-7 NE10. Assumption's losing streak hit six with the Hounds dropping to 6-16 overall and 2-14 conference.

With the game even at 32 with four minutes left in the first half, Falcon sophomore guard Seth Stankiewicz (Reading, Pa./Hill School) buried a deep three from the right wing to put Bentley in front to stay. That ignited a 13-2 run and gave the home team an 11-point advantage, 45-34, in the final minute of the first half.

Richmond and senior forward Matt Turkington (Cromwell, Conn./Cromwell HS) both scored five points during that run for the Falcons.

Bentley opened the second half with a 15-6 run, extending an eight-point halftime lead to 17, 60-43. Hudson played a major role during that span, scoring 10 of the 15, including threes from the left wing and right side.

Back-to-back threes by junior forward Zach Gilpin (Hampden, Maine/Hampden Academy) and Richmond made it 70-50 and the Falcons seemed to be well on their way.

However, it wasn't that easy as Assumption, led by freshman guard Matthew Kelly (North Potomac, Md.) and sophomore guard Branislav Vujadinovic (Belgrade, Serbia), gradually cut into the lead. A fast-break lay-up by Vujadinovic with 4:13 dropped the difference in single figures, a left corner three by Kelly with 2:05 made it a two-possession game and a baseline jump by Kelly with 54.6 seconds left cut it to two, 81-79.

Richmond hit six of six free throws in the final 51 seconds and Assumption's last hopes vanished on a backcourt violation with 14.1 seconds left with the Bentley lead standing at 85-82.

Richmond's afternoon saw him make 8 of 14 shots overall, three of five from deep and eight of ten free throws. He also had five rebounds, four assists and a steal while playing all but 24 seconds. Hudson finishing 7 of 11 from the floor and made both his threes.

Also in doubles for Bentley were Stankiewicz with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting off the bench and Gilpin (3-5 3's) with 13.

Kelly had a career game for Assumption, knocking down six treys and finishing with 36 points. Vujadinovic followed with 20 points.

Bentley's shooting tailed off late but the Falcons still finished at .566 overall, including an impressive 12 of 20 from three. Assumption, which had a 33-28 rebound advantage, shot .500 overall and was 11 of 29 from three.

The Falcons are on the road for their next two, beginning Wednesday at Southern New Hampshire (8 pm) in a game to be televised by Fox College Sports.