WALTHAM, Mass. – Sophomore guard Niya Morgen (Swampscott/St. Mary's HS) and senior guard Amanda Kabantu (Portland, Maine/Portland HS) combined for 31 points on 12-of-14 shooting as Bentley University, the fourth-ranked team in the latest WBCA Division II coaches poll, posted a wire-to-wire win for the third straight game, 85-56 over St. Michael's College in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball Wednesday night on Barbara Stevens Court.
 
Morgen finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 26 turnover-free minutes off the bench. Kabantu followed with 15 points and five assists. Both players made 6-of-7 shots.
 
It was the tenth straight win for the Falcons, the 29^th time in Bentley's storied history they've had a double-figure win streak. Coach C White's team improved to 14-1 overall and 6-1 conference, good for sole possession of first in the NE10.
 
The game's first 11 points were scored by the Falcons with Kabantu netting the opening six and graduate forward Maggie Whitmore (South Portland, Maine/South Portland HS) following with the next five.
 
After the Purple Knights (5-9, 2-6 NE10) got back in the game with a 15-4 spurt, Bentley pushed the advantage back to 11 with a 13-3 run that started with one second left in the opening stanza.
 
Bentley took a 36-26 lead into the halftime break after an outstanding half by Morgen. She went to the locker room with 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and no missed shots as she made two three pointers, two inside the arc and two free throws.
 
Any thoughts St. Michael's had of a comeback were dismissed in the third quarter as the Falcons outscored the Purple Knights 30-14 in the stanza and made 12 of 15 from the field (80 percent). Kabantu had seven points, and Whitmore, senior forward Kylie DuCharme (Wilmington/Wilmington HS) and junior guard Cassie Yeomans (Marion/Tabor Academy) each added five.
 
That huge quarter sent Bentley to the fourth with a commanding 66-40 advantage.
 
Whitmore also scored in doubles for Bentley, finishing with 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Five others scored at least six points, including Yeomans with eight and both DuCharme and junior forward Mikela Cooper (Surprise, Ariz./Valley Vista HS).
 
St. Michael's was led by sophomore guard Ashlee Talbot (Dracut), who doubled her previous career high with 20 points.
 
Bentley shot 56 percent, limited the visitors to 38 percent and knocked down 8 of 18 from deep. Rebounds (34-21), points off turnovers (24-7), paint points (40-20) and bench points (39-15) were other categories that strongly favored the Falcons.
 
Bentley is on the road for its next two, beginning Saturday at Assumption.