WALTHAM, Mass. – After trailing by as many at 17 in the first half, Pace University poured in 56 second-half points, including 23 from graduate forward Bryan Powell (Middletown, N.Y.), to overtake Bentley University, 85-77, in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball on the Dana Center's Barbara Stevens Court Saturday afternoon.

Four scored in doubles for the Falcons, with sophomore Cash McClure (Readfield, Maine/Maranacook HS) topping the list with 20.

Bentley, which had won its last six and 41 of its last 45 home games, dropped to 19-9 overall and 14-7 in the NE10 with one contest left on the regular season schedule. The Falcons, who are now tied for second in the conference, will host Southern Connecticut State Tuesday at 7:30 pm. The Owls are in a three-way tie for fifth place.

An early 14-2 run, which included three-pointers from four of the five scorers, staked Bentley to a 14-5 lead five minutes into the game. McClure hit from the right wing, seniors Aaron Latham (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury HS) and Ivan Misic (Toronto, Ont.) each connected from the right wing, and graduate wing Kellan Bochenek (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont HS) drained a straight-away trey.

Later in the first half, Bentley used a 13-2 spurt to open a 37-21 advantage with 3:46 on the clock. That surge included three-balls from Bochenek, McClure and senior guard Zach Laput (Beacon Falls, Conn./Notre Dame HS).

Bentley was still up ten, 58-48, after Laput's fastbreak lay-up with 10:40 remaining.

Five-and-a-half minutes later, Pace had a 65-63 lead following a 17-5 run that included seven points from senior point guard Tray Alexander (Freeport, N.Y.). During that stretch, the Setter press took the Falcons out of their offense with Bentley just one-for-seven with two turns.

After Bentley twice tied the game, Pace ran off seven straight to go up 74-67 with 2:52 to play. The Setters closed it out by making nine of ten from the charity stripe including five of six by Powell.

 McClure, whose five-of-nine shooting effort included making three-of-six from deep, was perfect on seven free throw attempts and also had seven rebounds. Laput, who surpassed 1,600 career points, finished with 16, and also had eight boards. Bochenek's 14-point game included four three-pointers, and Latham had 11 points and six assists.

Powell was 10 of 22 overall for the Setters with two three-pointers, and he also had seven assists and five rebounds. Alexander followed with 19 points, six assists and three steals.

Bentley made twice as many three-pointers, 14-7, but was more than doubled in the paint, 42-20. Pace shot 63 percent in the second half, turned it over only three times all game, and outscored the Falcons 13-0 in points off.

Pace, which extended its winning streak to five, improved to 17-10 overall and 13-8 NE10.