WALTHAM, Mass. – Junior guard Zach Laput (Beacon Falls, Conn./Notre Dame HS), the conference's top scorer, posted  a 29-point, 11-rebound double-double and graduate forward Matt Leritz (St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis University HS) also had a double-double as Bentley University defeated Le Moyne College, 78-67, in the Northeast-10 Conference quarterfinals Sunday afternoon on Barbara Stevens Court.

The win, Bentley's 21^st in 26 games this season, propelled the third-seeded and reigning champion Falcons into the conference semifinals and a Wednesday encounter at second-seeded Saint Anselm College.

Better shooting (47-37 percent) and ownership of the boards were keys to Bentley's success with the Falcons having a rebound margin of plus-20, 48-28. The home team turned 14 offensive boards into 20 second-chance points.

With the game tied at 20 with six minutes left in the first half, Bentley embarked on a 20-9 run and led by 11 before a late Le Moyne basket made it a 40-31 game at the break. Twelve of the 20 came front Laput as he scored in a variety of ways. There was a right-side three, a traditional three-point play, two free throws, a second-chance basket and a mid-range jumper.

Le Moyne (15-15) scored the first five points of the second half but Bentley countered by running off seven straight. A three-pointer from graduate guard Mason Webb (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness HS) was sandwiched in between two inside baskets by Leritz.

Later in the second with the difference seven points, Bentley scored 12 straight to open a 69-50 lead with 4:33 to play. That surge included a three-pointer and four free throws from junior guard Aaron Latham (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury HS) as well as five points from Laput.

A 12-4 Dolphin run made it an 11-point game with just under three minutes to play, but Webb answered with a triple from the left corner and Bentley was on its way to the semifinals for the 20^th time.

Laput made nine of his 16 field goal attempts and also got to the line for 10 free throws, making nine. Leritz made eight of 15 during a 16-point, 12-rebound, 4-assist performance. Bentley also received 13 points apiece from Latham and Webb.

The bench scored 34 of Le Moyne's 77 points with junior guard Jerome Washington (Chicago, Ill.) scoring 15, about triple his season norm, and freshman guard Trent Mosquera (Brookline) following with 14.

Le Moyne took exceptional care of the ball (only seven turns, half of Bentley's total) and finished with a 20-7 advantage in points off.  The Falcons had the big advantage at the line, making 18 of 20 as compared with 10 of 15.

The other three top seeds also advanced. Number four New Haven downed Southern Connecticut 75-59, top-seeded Southern New Hampshire took care of Franklin Pierce 58-51 and Saint Anselm was eight points better than Pace, 78-70.