WALTHAM, Mass. -- Freshman forward Lauren Battista (North Easton/Oliver Ames HS) scored 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting and also amassed seven rebounds, a career-best seven assists and a career-high five steals as Bentley University won for the 15th time in 16 games, 80-46 over Le Moyne College in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball Saturday afternoon at the Dana Center.

Bentley, ranked 18th in Division II, maintained its two-game lead in the conference standings while improving to 15-2 overall and 12-1 NE-10. Le Moyne fell to 6-11 overall and 3-10 in the conference.

Bentley shot a season-high 56.7 percent, including 66.7 percent in the second half when it outscored the Dolphins 47-20, and amassed more points in the paint (52) than Le Moyne had in total.

The Falcons never trailed in the game, but couldn't shake the Dolphins until early in the second half when they used a 21-3 explosion over a span of 6:15 to turn a seven-point game into a 58-33 contest.

Battista led that surge with seven points, and senior guard Kim Brennan (Locust Valley, N.Y./ Locust Valley HS) contributed five points, including a drive to the basket to start it off. Battista followed with a lay-up, came up with a steal at the defensive end and fed junior guard Katherine Goodwin (Goffstown, N.H./Governors Academy) for a fast-break lay-up.

The run continued with consecutive three-pointers by Battista, Brennan and junior guard Meghan Thomann (Andover/Andover HS) pushing the Falcon lead to 22 at 52-30.

Following a Le Moyne triple, a Battista jumper and two lay-ups from junior post Shatasia Kearse (Framingham/Lincoln-Sudbury HS) made it a 25-point game, with 11 minutes still to play.

The final spread of 36 points was a game-high as the Falcons pitched a shutout over the final 6:45 while scoring the game's final 12 points.       

Battista wasn't the only Bentley frontcourt player to have a strong outing. Brugliera finished with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, eight rebounds and two steals and Kearse provided 14 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.  Brennan and Thomann just missed double figures, finishing with nine points apiece.

Courtney Coryea, a six-foot-one graduate student, led Le Moyne with 17 points and seven rebounds, with the large majority of her production coming before intermission (13 points, six boards in the first half).

Bentley, in addition to its superior shooting, dominated the boards (40-21 with a 17-5 edge in second chance points) and enjoyed a 24-7 advantage in points off turnovers. Le Moyne gave the ball up 23 times, six more than the Falcons.

Bentley's next game is Wednesday at 5:30, at 12-4 Saint Rose.

At Waltham, Mass. (Dana Center)

BENTLEY 80, LE MOYNE 46

LE MOYNE (6-11, 3-10 NE-10) -- Courtney Coryea 7-14 2-3 17; Emily Bayly 3-6 4-5 11; Danielle Felice 2-6 0-0 6; Katie Hart 2-2 0-0 4; Brandy Wangelin 1-3 0-2 2; Morgan Rowland 1-5 0-0 2; Torie Lee 1-5 0-0 2; Maddy McKnight 1-2 0-0 2; Raychel Shannon 0-0 0-0 0; Ashley McFarlan 0-1 0-0 0; Bria Tiro 0-2 0-0 0; Raven Short 0-0 0-0 0; Ashley Prischak 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 18-48 6-10 46.

BENTLEY (15-2, 12-1 NE-10) -- Lauren Battista 9-11 0-0 19; Jacqui Brugliera 7-11 3-3 17; Shatasia Kearse 5-10 4-4 14; Meghan Thomann 3-8 0-0 9; Kim Brennan 4-7 0-0 9; Christiana Bakolas 3-3 0-0 6; Katherine Goodwin 2-6 0-1 4; Ashley Saia 1-1 0-0 2; Kelsey Roberson 0-3 0-0 0; Caralyn Hart 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 34-60 7-8 80.

Halftime: B 33-26; 3-point goals--L 4-16 (Felice 2-4; Bayly 1-3; Coryea 1-1; Rowland 0-3; Lee 0-1; McFarlan 0-1; Tiro 0-1; Prischak 0-2), B 5-16 (Thomann 3-8; Brennan 1-3; Battista 1-1; Goodwin 0-2; Roberson 0-1; Brugliera 0-1). Fouled out--None. Rebounds--L 21 (Coryea 7), B 40 (Kearse, Brugliera 8). Assists--L 10 (Rowland, Hart, Felice, Coryea 2), B 24 (Battista 7). Total fouls--L 15, B 15. Technical fouls-- None.