The College of Staten Island men’s basketball team stayed perfect in CUNYAC play this weekend, using a big first half to power over host Brooklyn College by a 78-59 mark on Saturday.  The win broke a six-game CSI losing streak vs. Brooklyn.  The win, CSI’s third in four games, lifted the Dolphins to 8-3 overall and 3-0 in conference play, while the defending CUNYAC-champs dipped to 6-6, 2-2, respectively.
The win was catapulted by a huge first half by the Dolphins, one that saw the visitors shoot a red-hot 59.4% from the floor (19-32).  CSI wasted little time, blazing out to a 10-0 start over the first 3 and a half minutes, powered by a pair of baskets each from Jordan Young and Matt Van Manen.  Another Young lay-up made it 15-2, as CSI started the game making their first 9 baskets.
The defending champs would not relent, however, and cut the lead to as few as six with 10:46 to go thanks to a Tyshawn Russell steal and lay-up, but CSI responded again via a 9-2 run.  Bloochy Magliore notched seven points in the run, starting with a long-range bomb and a cutting inside lay-up to put CSi back up by 13, 30-17.  Another Magliore trey and a Dale Taranto lay-up gave CSI it’s biggest first half lead at 19, 44-25, with 2:42 to go and CSI entered the lockers shortly after with a 45-27 stranglehold.
CSI opened up a game-high 22-point lead via a David Hughes jumper to make it 56-34 in the early stages of the second stanza.  The Bulldogs had room for another response, cutting the lead to as few as 15 points with 8:28 to go, but a Taranto answered with a three ball and later Magliore would do the same to keep CSI comfortably ahead and open up a 25-point lead later in the half.  CSI would go the final 2:42 without scoring as BC closed on a 6-0 run to end the game.
CSI shot 51.7% for the contest, including a 7-of-14 performance from beyond the arc.  Jordan Young led the way with 20 points and a team high seven rebounds.  Taranto dumped in 19 points six assists and four steals while Magliore scored 18 markers.  T.J. Tibbs notched a game-high eight assists to go with seven points and five rebounds.  BC was led by Darnell Cudjoe’s 13 points, while Amil John notched 11 points and a team-high six boards.
CSI will look to stay perfect in CUNYAC when they host New York City College of Technology on Wednesday night at 7:30pm at the Sports & Recreation Center.