For the second-straight outing the Dolphins hit on over 50% from the floor, and it helped the College of Staten Island men’s basketball team to its third-straight win, a 65-60 victory over visiting York College in the first CUNYAC test of the season for both teams at the Sports & Recreation Center.  CSI improved to 3-2 overall and 1-0 in the CUNYAC, while York slipped to 1-5, 0-1, respectively.

In a game that teetered back and forth, CSI held a modest 10-7 lead in the early stages, as senior Jordan Young connected on a pair of early buckets.  CSI led by as many as six points, 20-14, at the 7:46 mark, using a pair of field goals by fellow senior T.J. Tibbs on layups in traffic.  In fitting fashion, however, YC’s Mark Evans drained a three-ball to tie the game for the fifth time at 4:45, at 22-22.  From there the teams traded leads until a Bloochy Magloire lay-in with 15 seconds to go put CSI up at the half, 32-30.  To that point, York’s bench was outscoring CSI, 11-0.

The CSI bench played a bigger factor in the second frame.  After York used a 10-0 run, aided by another pair of Evans baskets and a Tony Vails driving lay-up, CSI’s Louis Valdes answered with a long three-pointer and a free-throw to cut the lead to a basket.  Young tied the game shortly after with 10:51 to go, but again York went up again on Vails and Evans baskets.  Then junior transfer Dylan Bulger converted on a pair of inside put-ups that bookended a Dale Taranto lay-up to help put CSI back on top, 57-55 with 3:32 to go.

After a Kevin Lausell cut CSI’s lead to a digit, the Dolphins posted a 6-1 run to take a 63-57 lead with just 1:07 to go.  Another Evans basket cut the lead, but CSI was able to ice the game at the line.

Tibbs led all CSI scorers with 18 points, helped by Young’s 15 points and six rebounds and three steals.  Bulger finished with five points and a team-high seven rebounds.  Evans finalized with a game-high 20 points, while Vails notched 14 in the loss with eight rebounds and three assists.  CSI shot 54.2% (26-48) for the game, despite a poor shooting performance from the free-throw line (10-19, 52.6%).

CSI will next travel to the Stevens Institute of Technology on Saturday afternoon at 2pm in non-conference action.