The College of Staten Island men’s basketball season is a couple of weeks old, and the Dolphins will be making their long awaited home debut tonight, as they welcome in Stevens Institute of Technology for a 7pm, non-conference, showdown.  Two years ago the Dolphins defeated the Ducks on a buzzer-beater, with the Ducks exacting revenge with a win on their floor last year by 10 points.

CSI vs STEVENS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Matchup: College of Staten Island (1-3) vs. Stevens Institute of Technology (3-2)
Where: The Tank, 2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY
All-Time Series: Stevens leads 8-4
Last Meeting: December 1, 2016 – Stevens won 103-93
Players to Watch (CSI): Stephen Flagg is coming off of his strongest game of the season statistically, registering 20 points against NCAA Division I Wagner College in CSI’s last outing.  He is third on the team averaging 10.8 points per game.  Both Adeola Latunji and Christian Taylor lead the Dolphins with 14.8 points per game and 59 total points.  They are each 1-2 in rebounding as well, as Taylor is averaging 7.0 rebounds per game while Latunji is next in line with 5.3.  Keep your eyes on Rudy Lavanture tonight.  The freshman has come off of the bench through the first four games, averaging 6.5 points on a team best 56% shooting from the floor (10-18).  Defensively, senior Ray Savage leads the way with five steals, while interior presence Jade Spencer leads all with five blocked shots.
Players to Watch (STV): Look no further than Spencer Cook for a huge chunk of offense from the Ducks.  Cook leads the team with 17.8 points per game through five starts, tying the team lead with 9 three-pointers to boot.  Cook is tied for fourth on the team in rebounds per game and is third on the squad in total assists.  Jayson Winnick is the only other players averaging in double figures with an even 10 points per game.  he is also second on the team in assists with 10.  The main ball distributor is Frank Amari, who tallies 12 total assists, making a single start.  Ryan Coffey is averaging just 6.2 per game, but his 9 three-pointers is tied for tops on the team with Cook.
News & Notes: Stevens had won eight straight in the series between the two teams from 2005-11, but the Dolphins responded by winning three-straight over the Ducks, prior to Stevens’ 103-93 win over the Dolphins last season.  The loss dipped CSI to just 1-5 at Stevens.  At CSI, the Dolphins are 2-3 all-time, but they have won the last two in this building.  Last year’s game was the highest-scoring game CSI was a part of, and the 103 points they gave up were the most in a non-overtime game since St. Joseph’s (BK) put up the same amount on them in 2011.  In last year’s meeting, the three-pointer was a big part of the outcome.  Stevens banked 15 three-pointers (on 24 shots), good for 62.4% from the arc, while CSI was just 3-15 from the semicircle (20%).  The Ducks pride themselves on getting to the free-throw line and crashing the boards.  Stevens is ranked 36th nationally in free-throws attempted and their 208 total rebounds are ranked 25th among 401 NCAA Division III teams.  The Dolphins look for effective ball control.  They are in the Top 25% of NCAA Division III by averaging just over 12 turnovers per game.