WALTHAM, Mass. – Sophomore forward Lauren Battista (North Easton/Oliver Ames HS) scored 12 of her game-high 16 points in the second half, junior guard Courtney Finn (Winthrop/Winthrop HS) added 12 points and Bentley University closed with a 27-10 run over the final 13 minutes to best Saint Anselm College, 63-45, in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball Saturday afternoon at the Dana Center.

Bentley, ranked ninth nationally in Division II, used a 5-1 advantage in threes, an 18-8 dominance in free throws and 13 second-chance points to improve to 19-3 overall and 15-2 in the NE-10. Coupled with Southern Connecticut's loss at Saint Rose, the Falcons now own a one-game lead over SCSU in the NE-10 standings.

Saint Anselm (12-11, 6-11 NE-10) held a 30-25 lead after senior forward Megan Howard (St. Paul, Minn.) opened the second-half scoring with a lay-up, her seventh basket in eight attempts at the time and her final shot attempt of the afternoon.

There would be only four more Hawk field goals the rest of the way as Saint Anselm was limited to 24 percent shooting over the final 19 minutes after making 64 percent up to that point (13-21 in the first half and their first attempt of the second.

Bentley, which trailed by as many as five in the opening half, took a lead it would not relinquish by answering Howard's bucket with a 9-1 spurt. Finn made a couple free throws and junior guard Kelsey Roberson (Arlington/Arlington Catholic HS) sank a game-tying three-ball from the top of the key, making it a 30-30 game.

After a Saint Anselm free throw, Battista scored the next four points to put the Falcons up 34-31. The first two came on a turn-around in the paint, and the next two came on free throws.

On top 36-35, Bentley broke the contest wide open with a 17-2 explosion.  Battista had six of the 17 and junior forward Caleigh Crowell (Harwich/Worcester Academy) chipped in with five.  It was a 55-39 game with under four minutes left before the Hawks ended a drought of ten-and-a-half minutes between made field goals, a span in which they missed eight straight shots and committed seven turnovers.

A Battista basket with about two minutes left gave Bentley its final points of the game as well as its biggest lead, at 63-44.

Bentley was fortunate to be within three points at the halftime break, 28-25, after being outshot 62-40 percent. The only two three-pointers of the opening 20 minutes, one apiece by Crowell and senior guard Katherine Goodwin (Goffstown, N.H./Governors Academy), and a 7-2 edge in free throws helped the Falcons stay within reach.

Battista reached 16 points by making five of eight from the field and all six of her free throws.  She also had three assists, two steals and a blocked shot. Finn did most of her scoring from the free throw line, making 8 of 11, and she had a game-high six rebounds, four coming at the offensive end.

Crowell followed with 10 points, and the Falcons received solid contributions off the bench from senior forward Shatasia Kearse (Framingham/Lincoln-Sudbury HS) and Roberson. Kearse finished with nine points, nine rebounds and two blocks, and Roberson gave her team eight points and two assists.

Howard paced Saint Anselm with 14 points and four rebounds.

For the game, both teams were just over 46 percent and the Falcons finished with the advantage on the boards, 27-19, including 12 at the offensive end.

Bentley will be on the road twice next week, with games at St. Michael's Wednesday and Southern New Hampshire Saturday.