WALTHAM, Mass. – Alone in first place in the Northeast-10 Conference's Northeast Division, the Bentley University men's basketball will be looking to extend its five-game winning streak when it pays a visit to St. Michael's College Wednesday evening. Tip-time at the Ross Sports Center in Colchester, Vt. Is set for 7:30 pm and the game can be viewed on the NE10 NOW digital network.

Bentley, which climbed from 23rd to 17th in his week's NABC Division II coaches poll and debuted at number 18 in the D2SIDA media trip, will take records of 12-2 overall and 4-1 Northeast-10 into the game after Saturday's come-from-behind 76-65 win over Saint Anselm.

St. Michael's, under first-year head coach Eric Eaton, is still looking for its first home win (0-4) as well as its first conference victory (0-5). The Purple Knights are 3-9 overall after hard fought losses to Daemen, 72-68, and Franklin Pierce, 77-74. Daemen was ranked nationally earlier this season and Franklin Pierce is one of two teams to own a victory over Bentley this season.

The Saint Anselm win gave the Falcons sole possession of first in the Northeast Division and saw coach Jay Lawson's club overcome a 16-point first half deficit. After falling behind 40-24, Bentley outscored the Hawks 34-7 over a stretch of about 11-and-a-half minutes.

Junior guard Jordan Mello-Klein (Sharon/Thayer Academy) led the way with 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting, four three-pointers, seven assists and five rebounds. Senior forward Chris Hudson (Hodgdon, Maine/Williston Northampton HS) also came up big with sixth 20-point game of the season.

It's been an impressive season for Hudson, who is averaging 18.2 points and 8.2 rebounds. In the latest conference stats, he leads the way in field goal percentage (.585) and blocks (1.7), and is also seventh in scoring, eighth in rebounds and sixth in minutes (35.3).

Mello-Klein has buried 51 percent of his three-pointers, raising his career mark to .451 (second in program history), and is averaging 13.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.9 assists. Saturday marked the seventh time this season he's had at least 10 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Bentley's other three starters are also scoring in doubles with sophomore guard Mason Webb (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness HS) at 16.4, junior forward Pete Blust (Hinsdale, Ill./ Hinsdale Central HS) at 10.4 and sophomore guard Brian Wright-Kinsey (Brooklyn, N.Y./Brooks School) at an even ten.

As a team, Bentley leads the Northeast-10 in scoring margin, rebound margin, field goal percentage and assists.

Freshman Kasai Brown leads St. Michael's in scoring with the six-foot-six forward averaging 15.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. He's scored in doubles in nine straight games and has made 42 percent of his three-pointers in the last five games.

Also scoring in doubles for the Purple Knights are seniors Jordan Guzman and Eli DiGrande, at 14.9 and 12.6, respectively. DiGrande is tied for third in the NE10 in field goal percentage (.539) and Guzman is fourth in three-point accuracy (.457).

Defense has been an issue for St. Michael's with the Purple Knights ranking last in conference games in points allowed, opponent field goal percentage and turnover margin.

Bentley leads the all-time series 53-30 after winning the last five and eight of the last nine. Last year, the Falcons won by 22 at home, 87-65, but by only three up at St. Michael's, 77-74.              

Undefeated at home (8-0), the Falcons will return to the Dana Center Saturday to take on Southern Connecticut.

NABC Poll            D2SIDA Poll