WALTHAM, Mass. – The No. 9 Bentley women's basketball team hit a rough scoring drought in the fourth quarter, as the Falcons lost to Southern Connecticut, 59-50, in the Northeast 10 Championship game Sunday afternoon. Bentley learns where its postseason goes from here during the NCAA Selection Show tonight at 10:30 p.m.

Bentley (22-4) entered the fourth quarter with a 40-39 lead. The Owls (24-5) scored in the paint for the first points of the fourth, but Kayana Armbrister came right back to drill a corner 3-pointer for a 43-41 Bentley lead.

However, the Falcons failed to score from the floor for the next seven minutes. During that stretch, Bentley put just one point on the board  - a free-throw by Cherish Bryant with 4:10 left in regulation. The Owls held a 52-44 lead, and possession, as the game clock ticked below two minutes.

But that's when Niya Morgen came up with a steal, and she was fouled attacking the basket on the fast break. Morgen made one of her two free-throw attempts. The Falcons went into a full-court press, and Morgen stole the ball again. Bentley circled the ball around the perimeter and got it back into Morgen's hands. She hit a 3-pointer in front of the home bench, bringing Bentley to within 52-48 with a minute left.

Bentley's defense continued to pressure SCSU, seeking yet another turnover. However, the Falcons inadvertently committed a foul to send SCSU to the line with 38 seconds on the clock. The Owls made both free-throws, and they continued to make more from the line down the stretch. In the final 38 seconds of the game, SCSU shot 7-for-8 from the foul line.

The Falcons shot 28.6-percent overall from the floor, which is the team's second-worst shooting game of the season. The worst was 26.2-percent at Southern Connecticut (Jan. 31).

Julia Elie totaled 14 points and eight rebounds for Bentley. Armbrister had 13 points, and Morgen finished with 10. Brennan Doran scored nine points and pulled down seven rebounds off the bench.

Sunday was Bentley's fifth consecutive appearance in the NE10 Championship game, and it was the program's ninth such appearance over the past 10 seasons.