The College of Staten Island women’s basketball squad left little to doubt tonight, opening up an early lead and never looking back to score a 62-44 decision over CUNYAC-rival Hunter College as part of their CUNYAC and home opener at the Sports & Recreation Center.  The Dolphins, winners of two-straight, advanced to 3-3 overall and 1-0 in the CUNYAC, while the Hawks fell to 2-4, 0-1, respectively.

Locked in poor shooting all night, Hunter College managed only two points through the first 10:38 of the game, as CSI opened up an 11-2 lead over that stretch.  Sophomore Victoria Crea scored the first five points for the Dolphins, part of her team-leading 21 points on the evening.  Hunter shot just 1-18 over that stretch (5.6%).  Two minutes later, a running lay-up by Crea gave CSI its biggest lead of the evening, 16-4 at 8:36, and after Hunter was able to whittle the lead down to six points, CSI was able to take a 28-18 lead into the locker room, aided by a Christina Pasaturo lay-up and three-pointer.

The big lead got bigger to start the second stanza, as the Dolphins ripped off the first 9 points of the frame.  Pasaturo capped the run with another three-point bucket.  After HC cut into the lead, CSI went back up by 19 on a Crea three at 10:15, matching their biggest lead of the game.  Hunter would never get to inside of a 12-point deficit, and CSI scored the final six points of the game in the final 3:07, the final four shots at the charity stripe, to take a 62-44 win.

CSI finalized by shooting 42.1% to Hunter’s 28.1% (18-64).  CSI held a modest 41-40 edge in rebounds and forced 16 turnovers to their own 14.  Crea added 10 rebounds, as did Nikki Fabozzi, who added 9 points.  Pasaturo was the only other Dolphin in double figures, finishing with 15 points, six rebounds and five assists.  HC’s Kristen Markoe came off of the bench to lead Hunter with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

The Dolphins will be back in action on December 3, when they host Western Connecticut State University as part of non-conference play at the Sports & Recreation Center at 7pm.