Lancaster, PA | The College of Staten Island took a modest early lead and then rode their defense the rest of the way, pulling away from Lancaster Bible College by a 59-40 count as part of non-league play.  CSI, winners of five straight, lifted to 8-2 overall, while the Chargers fell to 2-9.

The Dolphins did not register their first field goal of the game until nearly four minutes in, but when they did, Jacquelyn Cali’s lay-up gave CSI a 6-4 lead.  Caitlyn Hickey responded with a three for LBC, but Megan McEwan canned a three of her own on the ensuing possession, and from there, CSI never trailed.  The Dolphins expanded the lead to six on a Diana Todaro lay-up, and finished the first quarter with a McEwan drive to make it 19-11.

Both teams struggled defensively to start the second frame, and CSI in particular missed their first four shots while turning the ball over three times in the opening five minutes of the stanza.  During that stretch, LBC narrowed the deficit to 19-16 on a Mekenzie Smith three.  CSI would come to life, however, running to an 8-2 spurt helped by two Todaro jumpers.  With LBC going through a cold stretch, CSI extended to as many at 11, 31-20, on a jumper by McEwan, before Courtney Goyak freebies cut the lead to 31-22 at intermission.

It was more imposing defense from CSI in the third as the Dolphins held LBC to 1-10 shooting to start the frame with four turnovers, as CSI extended to as many as 15 with a lay-up from Brianna Robisky.  CSI would ultimately take a 47-33 edge into the final frame.

CSI would go on to outscore the Chargers, 12-7, in the final 10 minutes.   A Cristina Camerlengo jumper would give CSI their largest lead of the game late, 59-38, before the Chargers would score the final basket to conclude the scoring.

 LBC would shoot just 30.2% for the game (16-53) and were just 3-16 from beyond the arc.  CSI finished a respectable 41.4% from the field (24-58).  Todaro would finish with a team-high 14 points and 10 rebounds, while McEwan finished with 11 points despite foul trouble.  Both Robisky and Cali finalized with 10 points.  LBC was paced by Caitlin Hickey’s game-high 15 points.  Goyak finished with 9 points but had a monster game on the glass, collecting 20 rebounds,an opponent single game high this season against the Dolphins.

CSI will now be idle for the next six days before resuming play on Friday, December 21, when they face off against cross-town, NCAA Division I rivals Wagner College in the third annual Battle of the Borough matchup at Wagner’s Campus.