STANDOUT PERFORMERS

• Becht– season-high 34 points (9-14 FG, 6-11 3-FG, 10-10 FT), 3 rebounds
• Sophomore Ethan Okwuosa (No. Haven, Conn.) – 17 points (5-13 FG, 3-6 3-FG, 4-5 FT), 5 rebounds
• Sophomore Evan Guillory (Springfield, Mo.) – 14 points (6-8 FG, 2-2 FT), 7 rebounds, 3 steals

KEY MOMENTS

• The game was tied, 9-9, a little under seven minutes in when Bentley used a 16-5 run to open up a 25-14 advantage with 7:52 to go in the opening half. Southern New Hampshire countered with eight straight – highlighted by a four-point play from Becht – to trim its deficit to just three at 25-22 with 5:45 left, but the Falcons would score eight of the next 10 to go up nine and eventually took a 38-29 lead into the locker room.
• The margin was eight (54-46) more than six minutes into the second half when seven straight, including the final five from Becht, pulled the Penmen within one at 54-53 with 11:43 remaining. Bentley looked to pull away with a 13-2 rush that made it 67-55 with 7:26 on the clock, but SNHU hit back with an 18-0 burst that was part of a 22-3 run that gave the visitors a 77-70 advantage with 38 seconds left.
• Those last two points came on free throws from Becht, who went 6-for-6 from the line over those final 38 seconds. Bentley hit a pair of 3-pointers to make it 79-76 with 14 seconds left, but Becht sank his final two free throws with eight ticks remaining to seal it.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Graduate student Ryan Layman (Wrentham, Mass.) posted four points (2-2 FG) and four rebounds.
• Sophomore Derrick Grant (Plainfield, N.J.) also notched four points (2-2 FG) and blocked three shots.
• Junior Noah Kamba (Lynn, Mass.) chipped in four points (2-6 FG).
• Sophomore Jordan Brathwaite (Silver Spring, Md.) tallied two points (1-3 FG), seven boards and a pair of blocks.
• During the 18-0 run, SNHU's defense held Bentley to 0-for-5 from the field with two turnovers during a span of 6:07.
• SNHU outshot Bentley, 54.9 percent (28-51) to 46.8 percent (29-62), including a narrow 42.9 percent (9-21) to 42.4 percent (14-33) edge from beyond the arc. The Penmen also outshot the Falcons in the second half, 64.3 percent (18-28) to 51.9 percent (14-27).
• Southern New Hampshire was also plus-12 from the line and shot it better, 94.1 percent (16-17) to 80 percent (4-5).
• The Penmen captured the glass (30-27) and the paint (34-26), and received more bench scoring (10-3). The Falcons scored more points off turnovers (23-19) and on the fast break (10-8), and submitted a better assist-to-turnover ratio (17/9-3/12). Second chance points were even (10-10).

NOTES

• Southern New Hampshire has won 10 of its last 14, nine of its last 10 and three-in-a-row.
• With all three teams in front of them in the NE10 standings losing, the Penmen move into sole possession of third place – a half-game up on the University of New Haven – just a half-game behind second-place Saint Anselm College and one-and-a-half games behind Bentley.
• Bentley, ranked seventh in the D2SIDA Division II Media Poll and 11th in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II Coaches Poll, loses for just the second time in the last 17 games and has its three-game winning streak snapped. The Falcons also drop a game at home for just the second time in 10 contests this season.
• Bentley leads the all-time series with SNHU, 32-28. While the teams have split the last 24 meetings, the Falcons had captured six of the most recent eight, including four straight, before the Penmen victory. The win also snaps a three-game losing streak at Bentley, where SNHU had not won since Feb. 13, 2019 (84-79). The teams split the season series, as Bentley scored a 78-60 win in Manchester on Nov. 22.
• Becht came one point and one three-pointer shy of matching his career highs of 35 points and seven 3-pointers, which he set in a win at Pace University on Jan. 29, 2022.
• Becht has scored in double figures in 18 of 20 games and has reached nine points in every contest this season. During his six-game run of 10-plus points, he is scoring 19.0 ppg.

WHAT'S NEXT

• The Penmen are back in action Saturday, Feb. 4 (3:30 p.m.) when they take on Adelphi University.
• The next home contest for SNHU is Saturday, Feb. 11 (3:30 p.m.) when they play host to the College of Saint Rose at the Stan Spirou Field House.