The College of Staten Island men’s basketball team saw their season-opening win skein hit five games, as the Dolphins rolled into Jamaica, Queens, to take down the York College Cardinals in a convincing, 76-51, winner in what was CSI’s first conference match in the early season.  The win moved CSI to 5-0 overall and 1-0 in CUNYAC play, while York fell to 2-6, 1-1, respectively.
A 41-point winner over CSI last year on their home floor, the Cardinals battled a host of problems throughout the game this time around, none bigger than the turnover, as York committed a whopping 36 turnovers, including 20 in the first half alone.  The Dolphins, meanwhile, used a smothering and opportunistic defense employed with a full-court press alongside a fluid offense, to cut down the home team.
CSI scored the first two baskets of the game, but york quickly responded with seven straight markers to take a 7-4 lead spearheaded by a pair of Shamir Wilkinson baskets inside and a David Simon three.  From there, CSI asked for time, and proceeded to undress the York backcourt into a series of turnovers and miscues.  The Dolphins parlayed that success into a 14-4 run to take an 18-11 lead with 12:12 remaining, powered by two baskets each from T.J. Tibbs and Dale Taranto, and an inside powering layup by Jordan Young.
After a Kevin Lausell jumper cut the CSI lead to 22-19 with 8:19 remaining in the stanza, CSI used a big 16-4 run to close the half, aided by 12 York turnovers in that stretch and a pair of steals each from Tibbs, Taranto, and Louis Valdes.  CSI went into the lockers with an emphatic, 38-23, edge.
Needing a lift, York didn’t have much of an answer in the second frame, especially since York dynamo Marcel Esonwune (who finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds) was plagued with foul trouble.  The Dolphins never relented and despite York’s best attempts, CSi powered to another 17-5 run midway through the second stanza to put the game out of reach at 61-36 with 9:50 to go, punctuated by a Bloochy Magliore three-ball.
CSI led by as many as 29, while York was able to knock the lead down to as few as 18 but never closer the rest of the way.
The Dolphins were led by Jordan Young’s 21 points  with four rebounds.  Taranto finished with 13 points and 4 steals, while Valdes poured in 12 points on 4-6 shooting.  York committed 34 turnovers next to CSI’s 9, despite holding a 36-27 edge in rebounds.
The Dolphins are off to their best start since the 1981-82 season, when they started a program-best 11-0.  Next up for the Dolphins is non-conference Montclair State University, Wednesday, December 8, at 7:30pm.