NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Junior guard Ella Thompson (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS) matched her career-high with 25 points, including 17 in the first 12-plus minutes, and graduate forward Autumn Ceppi (Bedford, Mass./ Dana Hall School) added 18 as Bentley University recorded an 80-70 win over Southern Connecticut State in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball Saturday afternoon at the Moore Field House.

Bentley, with its fourth win in its last five contests, improved to 7-3 overall and remained atop the NE10 Northeast-10 standings with a 5-1 conference record. Southern Connecticut slipped to 6-6 overall and 3-3 NE10 as a result of its fourth straight loss.

With Thompson having the hot hand, Bentley dominated the first 13 minutes of the game, opening a commanding 37-17 lead. Thompson buried four three-pointers, including three in the first 2:10 of the second, matched the Owls' scoring total during that stretch.

Thompson wasn't the Falcons' only offensive threat early. A total of seven players scored in a first quarter that ended with Bentley on top 26-17.

With Thompson on the bench in foul trouble, the Owls closed the first half with a 19-6 run, drawing to within seven, 43-36.

The Southern momentum carried into the third quarter, a 13-6 Owl spurt creating a 49-49 tie with 3:50 left. Senior guard Zoe Amalbert (Nanuet, N.Y.) played a big role in the Owl comeback, with seven points during the second-quarter surge and a pair of three-balls in the third.

The Bentley offense came alive in the final minutes of the third, a 9-2 run putting the Falcons back up seven, 58-51. Freshman Kylie Ducharme (Wilmington, Mass./Wilmington HS) broke the deadlock and four other Falcons provided points during the run.

Southern closed to within four twice in the fourth before Bentley scored six straight to go back up 10, 69-59, with 5:28 remaining.  Eight Falcon free throws in the final minutes locked up the victory.

Thompson buried five of ten three-pointers and four of five free throws while finishing a team-best plus-22.

Ceppi, 7 of 11 from the field, complemented her 18 points with four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Senior Kari Brekke (Appleton, Wis./ Appleton North HS) followed with 11 points, six rebounds and two assists.

Sophomore Maggie Whitmore (South Portland, Maine/South Portland HS) also played a key role for Bentley, with eight points, a career-best 11 rebounds and three assists.

For Southern, Amalbert sank five of seven three-balls and finished with 24 points, six assists and four rebounds.

Bentley outshot the Owls 52-41 percent overall and 47-40 from three-point land. The Falcons dominated in the paint, 36-14, had a slight edge in rebounds (33-30), free throws (16-14) and points off turnovers (26-24).

The next game for C White's team is Tuesday when they'll host Le Moyne College. That's a schedule change as the Falcons were previously scheduled to play New Haven this coming week and Le Moyne later in the month.