WALTHAM, Mass. – The College of Saint Rose Golden Knights entered the day ranked number one defensively in Division II women's basketball. But  it was the Bentley University Falcons who sparkled at the defensive end Saturday afternoon on the Dana Center's Barbara Stevens Court.

The Falcons limited the visitors to just 13 points over the final 27 minutes and rolled to a 57-32 victory in Northeast-10 Conference action. Graduate guard Ella Thompson (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS) led the way with 16 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Her four three-pointers matched the number Saint Rose usually allows in a game.

Bentley, ranked 22^nd in the latest WBCA Division II coaches poll, moved from a three-way tie for first in the NE10 into a two-way tie with its 10-2 overall record including 6-1 NE10. The loss halted a nine-game winning streak for Saint Rose (9-2, 5-2 NE10).

A streaky first half ended with Bentley on the positive side of a 24-21 score. The Falcons used runs of 9-0 and 12-2 with a 17-2 Golden Knight burst sandwiched in between.

The 9-0 all came from distance with successive three balls from Thompson, junior guard Amanda Kabantu (Portland, Maine/Portland HS) and Thompson again.

After falling behind, Bentley outscored the visitors 12-2 over the final 7:25. Included were back-to-back triples by freshman guard Niya Morgen (Swampscott/St. Mary's HS) and the first two paint baskets of the afternoon for the Falcons.

The Bentley surge continued after play resumed with the Falcons outscoring Saint Rose 20-4 over the first 8:40 of the third to open up a 44-25 advantage. Thompson came up big in the stanza with 10 points, including her third and fourth three-balls of the game, and Whitmore added four points. There was also a three-pointer from sophomore guard Cassidy Yeomans (Marion/Tabor Academy) and a traditional three-point play by Elie.

Going back to the second quarter, that was a 32-6 Falcon run over a span of 16:05.

Bentley remained firmly in control during the final quarter, outscoring the Golden Knights 13-5. Morgen bettered Saint Rose's scoring output in the fourth, scoring seven points.

Thompson was followed in the scoring column by Morgen and Whitmore. Morgen, who had a career-high 19 three days ago against Assumption, had 13 points and four rebounds off the bench, and Whitmore finished with ten points, six rebounds and three assists. Kabantu added nine points and ten rebounds, half coming at the offensive end.

Sophomore forward Kylie DuCharme (Wilmington/Wilmington HS) didn't score but led the Falcons in rebounds with 11.

Sophomore guard Payton Graber (Schenectady, N.Y.) led Saint Rose with 11 points.

Bentley limited Saint Rose to 25 percent shooting overall and just one three-pointer in ten attempts. The Golden Knights scored the game's first 14 points in the paint but that category wound up even at 20 apiece.

Bentley, whose 10 three-pointers where 2.5 times what Saint Rose normally allows, turned the ball over only nine times and had a 41-33 rebound advantage. The Falcons' eight offensive boards resulted in an 11-0 advantage in second chance points.

Bentley will be back on the court named for its former Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Court on Monday for a 5 pm non-conference encounter with the College of Staten Island.