Press Release

PURPLE KNIGHT RALLY FALLS SHORT IN LOSS TO BENTLEY Randall’s double-double not enough in 79-76 setback FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                      FOR MORE INFORMATION January 8, 2004                                                                         Contact: Seth Cole                                                                                                 Phone: (802) 654-2537 COLCHESTER, Vt. – Junior Chris Tardif’s (Atkinson, N.H.) three-pointer with 1:21 remaining gave Bentley College the lead for good as the Falcons held off Northeast-10 Conference rival Saint Michael’s College, 79-76, on Thursday at the Ross Sports Center. The loss was the fourth in a row for Saint Michael’s (4-9 overall, 1-8 NE-10), all by 10 points or less, and the fourth three-point loss this season for the Purple Knights. Bentley (7-5 overall, 5-3 NE-10) placed five players in double figures. Sophomore Tim Forbes (Attleboro, Mass.) notched 20 points, classmate Sean Cooke (East Windsor, N.J.) added 12, Tardif chipped in 11, and sophomore Danny Whall (Roslindale, Mass.) and freshman Jeff Holmes (Westbrook, Maine) tallied 10. Holmes also grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. Senior Delbert Randall (Baltimore, Md./Calvert Hall) led Saint Michael’s with 20 points and 13 rebounds, including 15 points and 10 boards in the second half as the Purple Knights rallied from a 21-point halftime deficit. Junior Eric Swiezynski (Wilmington, Mass./Wilmington) contributed 16 points, sophomore BJ Robertson (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) tallied 15 points and nine rebounds, and classmate Chase Graves (West Chester, Pa./Storm King) chipped in 11 points and a team-high four assists. The Falcons dictated play in the first half, as the visitors shot 59 percent from the field, including eight-of-16 from beyond the arc, to open up a 51-30 lead at intermission. Forbes posted 14 points in the period, connecting on five-of-seven shots, as Bentley used a pair of 9-0 runs to open the sizable margin. Saint Michael’s, meanwhile, shot just 27 percent in the opening stanza, and held its only lead of the game at 2-1 in the game’s first minute. The Purple Knights slowly chipped away in the second half, as a Randall basket with 7:17 remaining cut the Bentley lead to 71-62, the first single-digit margin in more than 20 minutes. Bentley pushed its lead back to 10, but an 11-1 run, capped by another field goal from Randall, tied the score at 74 with 3:21 to go. The game remained tied at 74 until Tardif’s trifecta, but a layup by Robertson pulled the hosts within 77-76 with 1:01 left. Saint Michael’s had the ball with a chance to take the lead in the closing seconds, but a Graves’ miss was recovered by Forbes, and his timeout signal was granted just before he fell out of bounds. Following a pair of Forbes’ free throws, the Purple Knights had one final chance to force overtime, but senior Ben Smith’s (Southport Island, Maine/Boothbay Region) desperation three-pointer fell short. Saint Michael’s looks to bounce back on Saturday, as the Purple Knights visit league-rival Merrimack College at 3:30 p.m. before hosting Stonehill College in a Northeast-10 tilt on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.  ###PURPLEKNIGHTS###

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Last Revised: October 25, 2002