WALTHAM, Mass. – With the Bentley University women's basketball team as cold as the weather outside the Dana Center, the Falcons dropped a 53-50 decision to visiting Le Moyne College in Northeast-10 Conference action Tuesday night.          

The Falcons finished with a .313 field goal percentage and were just 6 of 27 from deep as they dropped to 7-4 overall and 5-2 conference. Le Moyne improved to 8-2 overall and 6-1 NE10 after besting Bentley for the fifth straight time.

Le Moyne was powered by senior forward Emma Brinker (East Aurora, N.Y.), who put up a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double and blocked three shots in just over 20 minutes of action.

Graduate forward Autumn Ceppi (Bedford/Bedford HS) led three double-figure scorers for Bentley with 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Bentley trailed by four at the half, 27-23, despite being outshot 44-27 percent during the first 20 minutes. The Falcons sank six three-pointers, including three by junior guard Ella Thompson (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS), but managed only two baskets on 12 two-point attempts, the last coming midway through the opening quarter.

Junior guard Saeeda Abdul-Aziz (Schenectady, N.Y.) matched Thompson's nine points for Le Moyne with a pair of three-pointers and a three-point play the traditional way.

In the third, Bentley got as close as one, on a lay-up by freshman forward Kylie DuCharme (Wilmington/Wilmington HS), with 1:17 to play. However, Brinker scored the next three points, making it a four-point spread, 41-37, heading into the fourth.

Down by as many as seven in the fourth, Bentley ran off six straight and was facing a 49-48 deficit when Ceppi sank two free throws with 1:17 left. After the Dolphins made three of four free throws, Ceppi scored with 13.8 seconds remaining and the Falcons were within two.

Thompson came up with a steal but missed two attempts from deep in the final seven seconds.

Thompson, who had a difficult 4-for-15 shooting night after hitting three triples in the opening quarter, followed Ceppi with 11 points. DuCharme was the third in doubles, finishing with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting off the bench.

In addition to the shooting woes, Bentley was also outrebounded, 45-34, and outscored in the paint, 36-26.

Bentley will look to get back on track Saturday when it hosts Pace University at 1 pm.