The College of Staten Island men’s basketball team posted their third straight win in CUNYAC and their fourth win in the last five games, going up early and never relenting the lead in a 75-68 win over visiting New York City College of Technology at the Sports & Recreation Center this evening.  The win lifted the Dolphins to 9-3 overall and a perfect 4-0 in CUNYAC play, while the Yellow Jackets fell to 1-11, 0-4, respectively.
Despite CSI owning the lead most of the way, it was City Tech that got up early, breaking up a series of early ties to keep a steady lead seven minutes into the game.  Fitzgerald Charles’ completion of a three-point play gave NYCCT a 13-8 lead, its biggest of the game, at 13:56 of the first half.  But the Dolphins responded quickly with a Dale Taranto three, and one possession later, T.J. Tibbs did the same to give CSI its first lead, 14-13, with 13:21 to go.  That started an 11-0 run to give CSI a 19-13 lead and from there the Dolphins never looked back.
Later in the first half, Bloochy Magliore’s big three pointer at 7:30 gave CSI its biggest lead at 9 points, and two minutes later another Magliore Jumper made it 33-21 with 5:11 to go in the first frame.  Another three by Tibbs gave CSI is biggest 13-point lead before the Dolphins would eventually take a 42-32 lead into the lockers.
A series of key runs dictated the second frame.  After a Charles lay-up cut the CSI lead to seven, 44-37, with 16:54 left, the Dolphins followed with a dominating 15-3 run spanning the next three minutes, catapulted by back-to-back three-point plays by Magliore and a pair of Jordan Young lay-ups.  The Yellow Jackets did respond, however.  Young was tagged with foul trouble and NYCCT countered with a 14-1 run over seven numbing minutes, and with 6:16 to go, NYCCT was down by only six, 60-54.
Needing a lift, Magliore stepped up for CSI, calmly draining another three-ball to put CSI back up by 9, and CSI was able to keep the Jackets at bay and iced the game in the waning seconds at the free-throw line for the eventual seven point win, 75-68.
CSI was led by Magliore’s 20 markers, complete with six rebounds and three steals.  Young added 18 points in just 21 foul-plagued minutes, while Tibbs added 15 points and eight rebounds and Taranto 12 points and seven assists.  Nathaniel Young led all scorers for the Jackets with 29 points and 13 rebounds.  Emanuel Adepoju was the only other double-digit scorer for NYCCT, posting 12 points.  CSI enjoyed a +10 turnover differential, despite being out-rebounded by 16, 53-37.
The Dolphins get right back to work on Friday, traveling to Baruch College to take on the Bearcats in CUNYAC action, at 7:30pm.