WALTHAM, Mass. - In a meeting between two of the top three teams in the NCAA East Region, the 21st-ranked Saint Michael's College men's basketball team lost to Bentley University, 84-65, on Wednesday evening in the Dana Center. The Purple Knights maintain a two-game lead in the Northeast-10 Conference despite the loss.
 
The Purple and Gold was ranked 21st in this week's D2CSC national poll while earning votes toward the National Association of Basketball Coaches' (NABC) national rankings. Saint Michael's is second in the latest D2CSC East Region poll, while Bentley sits third.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (18-6, 14-4 NE10), Bentley (17-8, 12-6 NE10)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Junior Jhamyl Fricas (Lawrence, Mass./Worcester Academy/Connors State), 17 points, 5 offensive rebounds, 3 assists, 7-for-15 field goals
• Senior Romar Reid (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Woodstock Academy/Manhattan), 15 points, 7 rebounds
• Sophomore Nolan Marold (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Brewster Academy/Loyola Chicago), 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 offensive rebounds, 2 assists, 5-for-8 field goals, 3-for-4 free throws
• Sophomore Darrel Yepdo (Dracut, Mass./Brooks School), 2 assists, 2 steals

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Senior Zach Laput, 19 points, 8 assists, 8-for-15 field goals
• Sophomore Cash McClure, 19 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 8-for-12 field goals
• Graduate student Kellan Bochenek, 15 points, 5-for-12 three-pointers
• Senior Aaron Latham, 14 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 6-for-9 field goals
• Sophomore Joe Carroll, 10 points

GAME FACTS

• Saint Michael's suffered just its third loss in 13 true road games, having entered the day with the top road record in the NCAA East Region. Only nine other NCAA East Region teams entered the day with an above-.500 road mark, with just seven more than one game over .500. Meanwhile, Bentley is now 11-1 at home, matching Adelphi University for the top home mark in the region.

THE ACTION

• Sophomore Alan Brzezinski (Örebro, Sweden/Western Reserve Academy) knocked down a three-pointer to give Saint Michael's an early 5-3 lead just 1:24 after the opening tip, but McClure scored six points and Laput five in a 17-2 Falcon response.
• McClure's jumper provided Bentley a 34-17 advantage with 4:44 left in the first stanza, but Reid scored the final five points of a 7-0 run, trimming the deficit to 10 points with 1:50 to go.
• The Falcons countered with an 8-2 spurt that bridged halftime before Marold's put-back at 17:52 brought Saint Michael's within 44-31, but the visitors came no closer.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Saturday vs. regionally-ranked Southern Connecticut State University, 3:30 p.m.
• The Owls were fifth in this week's D2CSC East Region poll.
• The Purple Knights will honor their seniors that day.