WALTHAM, Mass. – With the Northeast-10 men's basketball regular season down to its final week and final three games, the Bentley University Falcons are one of three teams deadlocked at the top of the standings.

Bentley, ranked 22^nd in Division II, will continue its bid for the conference title Wednesday when it hosts The College of Saint Rose at the Dana Center. Tip-off is listed at 7:30 pm and fans who can't make it to the Dana can view on NE10 NOW tv.

The other two games involving the tri-leaders have Saint Anselm on the road against Assumption and Southern New Hampshire taking on American International at home.

Saint Rose will make the trip to Waltham with records of 9-16 overall and 3-14 NE10. The Golden Knights have dropped three games in overtime, including 81-74 to Bentley on Jan. 4, and have lost 10 of their last 12.

Coach Jay Lawson's Falcons are coming off a 72-56 win over Pace University, a win that halted the program's first two-game losing streak since the end of the 2019-20 season. Bentley made at least half of its three-pointers for the fourth time this season, finishing 13 of 26 from downtown, and also collected 57 percent of the game's rebounds.

Graduate forward Matt Leritz (St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis University HS) had his second-highest scoring game as a Falcon, finishing with 25 points, and graduate guard Mason Webb (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness HS) followed with 22 points, his second-highest output of the season. Combined, those two made nine of Bentley's 15 three-pointers.

They are two of the team's top three scorers for the season, following NE10 scoring leader and junior guard Zach Laput (Beacon Falls, Conn./Notre Dame HS). Laput averages 19.8 points, along with 6.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists, while shooting 53 percent overall and 41 percent from deep.

Leritz, whose .608 field goal percentage is 15^th in Division II, follows at 15.0 points and Webb is up to a season-best 13.9.

It's been a productive year for Bentley's starting five. All own double-figure scoring averages, all have at least 50 assists, four of the five are shooting at least .800 from the line and three of the five have a field goal percentage of .500 or better. Graduate guard Brian Wright-Kinsey (Brooklyn, N.Y./Brooks School) leads the team in offensive rebounds and blocks, and junior guard Aaron Latham (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury HS) has 80 assists and 30 steals.

Bentley ranks in the top ten in Division II in fewest fouls, free throw percentage, defensive rebounds and rebound margin. The Falcons also lead the conference in scoring, field goal percentage and scoring margin.

A look at the Saint Rose's statistics shows six players averaging at least 10 a game, but half of those haven't appeared in a game since December, including leading scorer and sophomore forward Shane O'Dell (16.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 66 assists). Six-seven freshman Josh McGettigan has produced 21.2 points a game over the last five, raising his season norm to 12.8.

Two other freshmen that Saint Rose relies on are six-seven Max Jusianiec and guard Juran Ligonde, who score 10.9 and 10.1 points a game, respectively. Jusianiec erupted for eight three-pointers and 39 points Feb. 1 against New Haven. Briscoe's career bests of 20 points and nine rebounds were set against Bentley last month.

In that earlier meeting between the two clubs, Bentley closed strong to force overtime and outscored the Golden Knights 15-8 in OT to gain the 81-74 road win. Leritz had his high as a Falcon, 27 points, and Laput followed with 22. The Falcons struggled from deep, only three of 16, but scored 50 points in the paint.

Bentley leads the all-time series 28-9 after winning the last five meetings.

After facing the Golden Knights, the regular season will wrap with games at Franklin Pierce Saturday and home against American International next Tuesday.