COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College women's basketball team lost to No. 3 Bentley University, 81-60, on Wednesday evening during Northeast-10 Conference action in the Ross Sports Center. The Falcons' national ranking is according to this week's D2 CSC poll.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (11-14, 8-11 NE10), Bentley (25-1, 17-1 NE10)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Sophomore Ashlee Talbot (Dracut, Mass./Dracut), 24 points (tied career high), 4 rebounds, 7-for-13 field goals, 3-for-4 three-pointers, 7-for-9 free throws
• Sophomore Jayla Tyler (Albany, N.Y./Colonie Central/Saint Rose), 17 points, 7 rebounds, 6 offensive rebounds, 2 steals, 8-for-13 field goals
• First-year Margaret Montplaisir (Portsmouth, N.H./Portsmouth), 7 points
• Sophomore Ruby Santos (New Paltz, N.Y./Kent School), 8 rebounds, 5 offensive rebounds

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Senior Amanda Kabantu, 20 points, 3 assists, 8-for-9 field goals, 3-for-3 three-pointers
• Sophomore Niya Morgen, 14 points, 6-for-6 field goals
• Senior Kyle DuCharme, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 4-for-7 field goals
• Junior Cassidy Yeomans, 10 points, 3 assists, 4-for-5 field goals

GAME FACTS

• With one regular-season game left for Saint Michael's but two for most NE10 squads, the Purple and Gold is tied for seventh in a league that takes all 11 of its teams into the postseason. The Purple and Gold is a game and a half out of fifth; the top five teams earn first-round byes into quarterfinals, while the sixth through eighth seeds host first-round contests.
• The Purple Knights held a 31-24 rebounding lead, including 12-3 on the offensive glass, leading to a 16-4 advantage in second-chance points.
• Talbot scored at least 20 points against nationally-ranked Bentley for the second time this year.

THE ACTION

• A pair of buckets by senior Brianna Furch (Los Angeles, Calif./Brentwood School/Cal State Fullerton) in the early portion of the opening quarter had the Purple Knights within 5-4, and Tyler's lay-in at 7:24 made it 8-6.
• Bentley responded with a 21-6 run, shooting 9-for-11 from the floor, with Kabantu scoring 10 points.
• The Falcons led by as many as 33 points early in the fourth quarter before the hosts rallied within 21 late in the stanza.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Saturday vs. regionally-ranked University of New Haven, 1:30 p.m.
• The Purple Knights host Senior Day that day.
• The Chargers were eighth in this week's D2 CSC East Region poll.