SPARKILL, Mass. – Graduate guard Ella Thompson (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS) and freshman guard Niya Morgen (Swampscott, Mass./St. Mary's HS) combined to make eight of 12 shots from downtown as Bentley University improved to 4-0 with a 69-50 win over St. Thomas Aquinas College Saturday night in non-conference women's basketball at Aquinas Hall.

Thompson, 6-of-9 overall and 5-of-8 from three, and Morgen, 6-of-10 overall and 3-for-4 from deep, finished with 18 and 15 points, respectively.

Both were a factor in the opening quarter as Bentley shot out to a 24-7 lead. Thompson hit two from distance during a game-opening 10-0 spurt and Morgen drained her first triple to make it 18-5 with 4:21 to play.

Eight different Falcons scored in the first while the Spartans managed only three baskets in 17 attempts. Coach C White's team shot 10 of 17 overall, sank four of eight three-balls and turned it over only once.

Thompson's fourth trey of the opening half came with 4:10 left in the second quarter and gave Bentley its biggest lead of the night, 43-14. The advantage hit 29 points a couple times in the third and the Falcons went into the fourth with a commanding 60-32 lead.

Thompson, in addition to a season-high point total, had five assists and two steaks in 25 turnover-free minutes and finished with a plus-30, by far the team-best.

Senior forward Maggie Whitmore (South Portland, Maine/South Portland HS) sank two long balls and finished with ten points, three assists and three rebounds. On the boards, Bentley was led by junior forward Kylie DuCharme (Wilmington, Mass./Wilmington HS) and sophomore post Ciara Norman (Roebling, N.J./Life Center Academy), each with six points. DuCharme also had three steals.

Junior guard Sarah Ericson (Norwich, Conn.), the 2023 East Coast Conference Player of the Year, led St. Thomas Aquinas (1-3) with nine points and four rebounds.

Bentley shot 47 percent overall and finished 12 of 22 from three-point land. The Spartans, on the other hand, were held to 35 percent and two of ten from beyond the arc. STAC came up with 17 offensive rebounds (good for 16 points) and outrebounded the Falcons 39-28.

Bentley turned the ball over only nine times and had a 10-2 advantage in steals.

It's back to Northeast-10 action Tuesday when the Falcons play a 4:30 game at American International.