WALTHAM, Mass. – Bentley University scored the first four points of overtime and went on to post a hard-fought 87-84 win over Southern Connecticut State in the Northeast-10 Conference quarterfinals Sunday afternoon on the Dana Center's Barbara Stevens Court.
 
There were 16 lead changes and 14 ties before the Falcons claimed their third win of the season over the Owls, all decided by a total of six points.
 
Sophomore guard Cooper Farrall (Valparaiso, Ind./Culver Academies) led Bentley (18-9) with 22 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, a steal and a charge drawn. One of five Falcons to score in the extra session, he had four points and three boards in the OT.
 
Bentley, down 72-69 with 1:55 to play in regulation, drew to within one on a drive to beat the shot clock by junior guard Cash McClure (Readfield, Maine/Maranacook HS) with 65 seconds on the clock.
 
After Owl junior guard Albert Vargus (New York, N.Y.), the game's top scorer with 27, missed a floater for the lead, McClure collected the rebound and Farrall scored off a fast break to return the lead to the Falcons, 73-72, with 47.2 left. Following another Falcon stop, graduate guard Aaron Latham (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury HS) hit one of two from the charity stripe, making it a two-point game with 25.7 seconds on the clock.
 
Vargas was fouled attempting a triple with 17.7 remaining and was perfect on all three to put Southern back in front, 75-74.
 
McClure was fouled with seven seconds to play and made the second of two at the line to even the game at 75. Vargas threw up an off-balanced shot but it was off the mark, sending the game to OT
 
Two free throws by McClure and a reverse lay-up by Farrall started the overtime scoring, with the four-point Falcon lead matching their biggest of the afternoon up to that point.  
 
Bentley's lead hit a game-high five, 85-80, on a jump hook by junior forward Chase Clarke (Bloomfield, N.J./Newark Academy) with 1:10 left. The Owls, who had seen Vargas foul out, got back to within one, 85-84, on inside baskets by graduate forward Antonio Chandler (Piscataway, N.J.) and sophomore guard Christian Joe (Queens, N.Y.).
 
McClure missed two from the line with 14.9 on the clock, keeping it a one-point game. Joe missed a late 17-footer for the lead, Farrall grabbed the board and closed out the victory with two free throws with nine-tenths of a second remaining.
 
Farrall's fifth 20-point double-double saw him make 8 of 15 shots overall with a pair of three-balls.
 
Latham followed with 16 points and eight assists, McClure finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, and Clarke provided 13 points and nine rebounds off the bench.
 
In addition to 27 from Vargas, Southern received 19 points and 17 rebounds from Chandler. The Owls finished their season at 17-11.
 
Southern shot better, 46-39 percent, but coach Jay Lawson's squad controlled the boards (47-37, including 17-9 offensive) and committed only seven turnovers.
 
It was the second OT win for Bentley against Southern this season, following a 90-89 win back on Dec. 7. The Falcons also edged the Owls 70-68 on a Latham buzzer-beater Jan. 25.
 
Bentley will play at second-seeded Southern New Hampshire Wednesday with a berth in Saturday's championship game on the line. The Falcons split with the Penmen this season with SNHU's 72-69 victory Tuesday the only blemish for Bentley in its last nine games.