The College of Staten Island men’s basketball team raised their road record against the CUNYAC to a perfect 7-0 tonight, getting past Brooklyn College by an 87-78 count at the West Quad Arena as part of conference play. The Dolphins improved to 14-10 overall and 12-3 in the conference with the wins, while the Bulldogs fell to 6-17, 6-8, respectively.
After a neck-and-neck opening, the Dolphins made the most of a poor shooting performance in the first half from Brooklyn to take a sizable lead into the locker room. The Dolphins then opened things up in the second frame, extending to as many as 20 points before the home side cut into the deficit on what was their Senior Night.
Seven lead changes highlighted the game’s first 13 minutes, as both teams traded mini runs to pace play. The Bulldogs raced out to as much as a 12-7 edge, as Grant Maynard posted five markers in the early stages. CSI would respond with a Stephen Flagg three followed by a Christian Taylor jumper and later, a Raymond savage three to grab the Dolphins a 15-14 edge.
CSI would make a crucial move with just over five minutes to play in the opening stanza. After an Alpha Bah lay-up for Brooklyn knocked the CSi lead to 25-24, the Dolphins advanced on a 10-0 run, powered by two Robert Rossiter baskets and an Edin Bracic three. BC would add the final basket of the half, but by then the Dolphins had some breathing room at the half, 35-26.
Early baskets would help CSi go up by 12 in the early stages of the second half before two more Grant baskets and a Ben Batash three trimmed CSI’s lead to 41-35 with over 16 minutes to play. CSI, however, weathered the storm, and later used a numbing 16-3 run over almost six minutes to gain a massive, 69-49 edge. Flagg scored five baskets in the run, including two three’s and a dunk to cap it off.
BC had a nice response, using a 16-5 rip to cut the deficit t0 74-65, but CSi immediately countered with an Adeola Latunji lay-up, and he added another later with under a minute left to put the game out of reach and keep the nine point lead intact the rest of the way, ultimately finalizing at 87-78.
Flagg led all Dolphins scorers with 20 points, going 5-7 from three-point range, adding eight rebounds. Savage was just as potent, pouring in 20 points on 6-11 shooting from downtown. Latunji was next with 16 points and eight rebounds. Brooklyn.s Batash led them with 21 points to go with four boards while Grant finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds. CSI held a 53-44 edge in rebounds and held BC to just 35.5% shooting overall.
The win for the Dolphins held them fast into the No. 2 spot in the standings behind Lehman College, who the Dolphins play on Saturday with their perfect road record on the line at 2pm. A win by the Dolphins on Saturday would clinch them no less than the No. 2 seed in the final standings which comes with a bye in CUNYAC quarterfinal postseason play.
