After ripping off five-straight wins to start the season the College of Staten Island men’s basketball team have lost two straight, this time falling to host Drew University in non-conference action on Saturday, 69-67. The Dolphins dropped the game after going ahead by as many as 21 points with 15 minutes to play, giving Drew one of their biggest come-from-behind wins in history, and improving the Rangers to 4-4 overall. CSI dropped its record to 5-2.
The Dolphins were seemingly on cruise control for the first half and a good portion of the second stanza, never giving up the lead until the late stages. Despite going just 1-of-9 from downtown, the Dolphins were effective on the interior, as junior Jordan Young poured in 18 points, many on transition baskets, to power the Dolphins to a 39-24 halftime lead. Dale Taranto had 11 points in the stanza as well, as CSI shot 65% from the field from inside the three-point line. CSI was also extremely successful defensively, forcing the Rangers into 15 first-half turnovers, and holding 6-11 center Dylan Bulger to just two points and four rebounds and three turnovers, and freshman Matt Van Manen was draped all over the interior threat.
The Dolphins then led by at many as 21 points with 15:08 to play. After that point, however, the Rangers would put on by far their best run of the season, scoring 24 of the next 29 points cutting the lead all the way down to five with seven minutes to play in the game. The trio of Mike Mayes, Asmer Capers and Luke Glass accounted for 18 of the 24 points during the run.
The Dolphins would respond and get the lead back up to nine but not before Capers cashed in on two layups with under five minutes to play to pull the Rangers within four.
After a pair of failed Dolphins possessions and after a missed free throw by the Dolphins, Mayes came down and found Glass underneath for a layup making the score 63-62 in favor of CSI. The Dolphins could not convert on the following possession setting the stage for Brown who made a tough layup in traffic with 1:05 to give the Rangers their first lead since the opening minutes.
Up two, with under a minute remaining the Drew defense would apply heavy pressure, forcing CSI’s TJ Tibbs into a pair of turnovers. Mayes and Brown would come up with steals in the frontcourt on back-to-back possessions forcing the Dolphins to foul. Capers would score his team-high 21st point off a layup and Glass would knock down two free throws to seal the game for the Rangers.
For Drew, Capers led the way with 21 markers, while Jamaal Hall was crisp, with 13 points and four steals. CSI was led by Young’s 22 points, while Taranto finished with 19 points and a game-high 9 rebounds. CSI committed 18 second half turnovers.
For the Dolphins, they will be on a long layoff before resuming their schedule with the 9th annual Tournament of Heroes to be played on December 28-29. CSI will open by hosting the University of Dallas on Tuesday, December 28, at 7:30pm. The other two tournament teams are Anderson University (IL) and Richard Stockton College. The Tournament serves to honor the memories of Tom Hannafin, Terrance Aiken, and Scott Davidson, former CSI basketball players who perished on September 11, 2001.
– Excerpts courtesy of Drew University Sports Information