STANDOUT PERFORMERS

• Fricas – season-high-matching 19 points (8-14 FG, 2-6 3-FG, 1-1 FT), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, career-high 4 steals
• Senior Kurtis Henderson (Brockton, Mass.) – 15 points (5-14 FG, 3-9 3-FG, 2-2 FT), 2 steals
• Senior Paul Greene (Freeport, Bahamas) – 14 points (5-11 FG, 4-4 FT), 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals
• Junior Royce Williams (Manchester, N.H.) – 12 points (3-10 FG, 6-6 FT), 2 rebounds, 3 assists

 KEY MOMENTS

• Southern New Hampshire came out strong, opening the game on a 10-2 run over the first 4:48, highlighted by 3-pointers from Fricas and senior Noah Harris (Manalapan, N.J.). Bentley answered with a 10-2 run of its own to leave the game tied, 12-12, with 11:33 remaining in the opening half. SNHU built a six-point lead with 8:21 left, before the Falcons scored seven straight to go on top for the first time, 23-22, with 5:35 on the clock. The game was tied twice over the final three minutes before SNHU inched in front to take a 32-29 edge to the break.
• SNHU scored seven of the first 10 points of the second half – with five coming from Fricas – to open up a 39-32 advantage less than two minutes in. The margin was four with under 11 minutes left when Bentley netted seven-in-a-row to seize a 58-55 lead at the midway point of the stanza. The Falcons grabbed their largest lead at 64-59 with 6:11 to go, but the Penmen responded with a 13-2 blitz – led by seven from Fricas and four from Williams – to put the game away. 
• Fricas' turnaround jumper from the foul line with under a minute left gave the visitors the lead for good at 67-66. Following a Bentley miss, Williams drained a pair of free throws to make it a three-point game. The Falcons missed again and the Penmen threw the ball ahead before Bentley could foul, with Williams finding Fricas for the layup through contact that sealed it. Fricas would finish the three-point play at the line to add the exclamation point.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Senior Brenden Choate (Nashua, N.H.) recorded five points (2-4 FG, 1-2 3-FG) and two rebounds.
• senior Jordan Brathwaite (Silver Spring, Md.) posted four points (2-4 FG) and four boards.
• Harris chipped in three points (1-4 FG, 1-3 3-FG).
• Bentley outshot Southern New Hampshire, 50.9 percent (27-53) to 41.3 percent (26-63), including 34.8 percent (8-23) to 26.9 percent (7-26) from long range. SNHU was plus-six from the line, going a perfect 13-for-13, while Bentley hit 7 of 9 (77.8%).
• The Penmen captured the paint (34-28), scored more points off turnovers (17-5) and on the fast break (15-5), and submitted a better assist-to-turnover ratio (12/10-8/14), while the Falcons won the glass (34-30) and received more scoring from their bench (10-8). Second chance points were even (12-12).

NOTES

• Southern New Hampshire has won nine of its last 11, including six of seven and five straight.
• Bentley sees its seven-game winning streak halted.
• The win, coupled with Assumption University defeating Pace University, forged a four-way tie for second place in the NE10 standings. While the Penmen and Falcons both finished with a 4-2 record against the teams in the four-way tie, as well as a 1-1 record against each other, SNHU claimed the tiebreaker and the No. 2 seed via its 1-1 mark against top-seeded Adelphi University. Bentley was 0-2 versus the Panthers. The Penmen will enjoy a bye in the first round of the NE10 Championship on Friday and will then host the winner of No. 7 Saint Anselm College and 10th-seeded American International College in the quarterfinal round Sunday (March 2) at 4 p.m. SNHU split with Saint Anselm in the regular season, while it swept AIC. Tickets will be sold at the Stan Spirou Field House, with admission costing $10 for adults and $5 for seniors (65+) and children (12-and-under), while NE10 students are free. 
• Bentley leads the all-time series with SNHU, 34-30. While the teams have split the last 28 meetings, the Falcons have captured nine of the most recent 14 and seven of 10, though the Penmen have managed to win three of the last six. The teams have now halved the last 12 meetings at Bentley.
• Since leading scorer Ray Daniels (Las Vegas, Nev.) went down with an injury Jan. 14, the Penmen have kept winning by having different players step up each game. Over the 11 contests since then, SNHU has not had the same leading scorer in back-to-back games. Six different members of the team have led the squad in scoring during that stretch, including a different player in each of the last four contests.

UP NEXT

• The second-seeded Penmen host an NE10 Championship quarterfinal contest Sunday (March 2) at 4 p.m. against the winner of seventh-seeded Saint Anselm College and No. 10 American International College at the Stan Spirou Field House.