WALTHAM, Mass. – In a battle for sole possession of second place in the Northeast 10, the Bentley men's basketball team upended Pace, 77-56, Wednesday night.

The Falcons (18-7, 11-5 NE10) and Setters (15-9, 10-6 NE10) entered the game tied for second place in the conference standings.

Pace began Wednesday's game with the best scoring defense in the NE10, yielding just 61.2 points per game. But Bentley was to up to the challenge, and the Falcons took a 45-26 lead into halftime.

It was Bentley's defense that set the tone for the game. Early in the first half, Cash McClure came up with a couple of steals that led to fastbreak dunks. The first steal he took to the rim himself, and the second steal he dished off to Chase Clarke for a two-handed jam that gave the Falcons a 17-9 lead.

Bentley's lead reached double digits for the first time when Cooper Farrall drilled a 3-pointer to push the Falcons' advantage to 20-9 with 11:46 on the clock.

Pace's zone defense frustrated the Falcons at moments in the second half, and Bentley turned the ball over seven times in the period. Still, the Falcons lead the NE10 for fewest turnovers per game (10.3).

The win marked the seventh time this season that Bentley had five players score in double figures. Farrall led the way with 17 points, and Ivan Misic had 15. Cash McClure and Clarke both scored 10 points, and Osiris Nalls added 11 points off the bench.   

The Falcons' final road game of the regular season is at Adelphi Saturday, Feb. 21, at 3:30 p.m.