COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College women's basketball team trailed seventh-ranked Bentley University by three points at halftime before its last-minute comeback to within six points was halted during a 69-58 loss on Wednesday in the Ross Sports Center. The Purple Knights slipped to 10-12 overall and 7-11 in the Northeast-10 Conference, while the league-leading Falcons moved to 20-3 and 16-2. Bentley's national ranking is according to this week's USA TODAY ESPN national poll.

Junior Nicole Adach (Schenectady, N.Y./Mohonasen) netted a career-high 25 points for the hosts, shooting 9-of-17 from the floor and 7-of-8 on free throws. Senior Coreen Hennessy (Chatham, N.H./Fryeburg Academy) and sophomore Cara Deroy (Hamden, Conn./Hamden) each had 10 points, junior Megan Olsen (Glenmont, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) notched five steals, and senior Samantha Steinmetz (Washington, Conn./Shepaug Valley) rejected three shots. Saint Michael's was 13-for-14 on freebies and forced 25 turnovers.

Bentley shot 52 percent overall, including 10-of-23 from three-point range, as junior Caleigh Crowell (Harwich, Mass./Worcester Academy) had 18 points on 4-of-7 long-range shooting to go along with eight rebounds and four blocks. Classmate Courtney Finn (Winthrop, Mass./Winthrop) notched 17 points and seven boards, and junior Kelsey Roberson (Arlington, Mass./Arlington Catholic) was 3-for-3 from deep off the bench en route to 11 points. Sophomore Lauren Battista (North Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames) neared a triple-double with 10 points, nine assists and eight caroms.

The Purple Knights trailed by as many as 15 points before twice inching within six points in the final 1:17. Hennessy drained a three-pointer at 1:57 to make it 62-53, and an Olsen steal led to a three-point play by Adach. After Crowell converted a hoop, Olsen knocked down two freebies at 48.3 seconds to make the score 64-58, but Bentley netted the final five points.

Saint Michael's yielded an early four-point lead to Bentley, but the squads played through six lead changes during the opening half. Adach keyed a go-ahead 8-3 run, scoring a pair of baskets, and Deroy capped the stretch by putting her team up by a 10-9 count at 13:14. After the Falcons netted the next four points, the hosts scored seven straight to grab a 17-13 advantage by 9:21 on Adach's jumper. Finn tallied five points during her team's ensuing 8-0 run, and Bentley led by as many as six before an Adach hoop brought the Purple Knights within 27-26. Thanks to a 5-of-10 showing from three-point range, Bentley held a 29-26 halftime edge.

Hennessy's triple early in the second half knotted the game at 29, and Adach hit a jumper at 18:09 to counter a Crowell three, bringing her team within one before the Falcons dropped in the next 14 points. Roberson hit two threes in that time, capping the run at 14:20 with a triple that produced a 46-31 margin.

Down 53-38 with fewer than 10 minutes remaining, Saint Michael's produced a 9-0 run. Adach scored the first five points, Hennessy added two freebies, senior Caitlin Quinn (Oakdale, Conn./Montville) hit a pair of free throws at 5:42, and the Purple Knights trailed 53-47. The contest was the 100th of Quinn's career. Bentley pushed its lead back to 12 before the hosts' late rally.

Saint Michael's completes its regular-season road slate during its next two contests, beginning with a Saturday contest at Stonehill College at 1:30 p.m.