The College of Staten Island women’s basketball team got back in the win column tonight, defeating Lehman College by an 83-75 count at the Apex Sports Center in the Bronx, NY, as part of CUNYAC play. The win lifted the Dolphins to 17-4 overall and 12-1 in conference play, while Lehman dipped to 12-9, 6-6, respectively.
Playing without injured senior and leading scorer Melanie Johnson, the Dolphins had a tough go of it in the early going, struggling for points while falling behind, 15-10, after the game’s first five minutes. The tough shooting for the Dolphins lasted into the 9-minute mark of the first half before the Dolphins found their stride. The visitors went on a 17-8 run over the game’s next five minutes to take a 33-26 lead, highlighted by a pair of Katelyn Hepworth baskets and three-pointers by Megan Myhre and Victoria Gallinaro.
CSI would only net one basket from there, a three-pointer by Jaclyn Tocco, but Lehman could come to within only two points at the break, 38-36.
Two Hepworth jumpers got CSI started in the second frame, before LC responded with a 9-1 run to take back the lead, 45-44, on a Amely DelRosario three-pointer. From there, the lead changed hands three times before a big lay-up by CSI’s Nikki Fabozzi with 10:13 gave CSI a 55-50 lead. Although the Dolphins would never trail again, the Lightning proved pesky consistently keeping the game within reach. Inside of five minutes to go, Myhre would hit two critical three-pointers, the last of which gave CSI a controlling, 71-63, edge with 4:32 to go to give CSI some cushion.
Mired in foul trouble and poor shooting, Lehman never got to within five points from there despite several good chances. Free throws by CSI’s Victoria Gallinaro gave CSI 10-point leads on two occasions before CSI ultimately settled for the eight-point win, 83-75.
Neither team was especially sharp in the game that featured four foul-outs. CSI shot 37.5%, while Lehman countered at 35.1%. The teams combined to shoot just 11-45 from three-point range, and CSI shot just 1-for-14 from the free-throw line before ultimately settling for a 24-for-44 performance from the charity stripe. A total of 51 fouls were called in the game, leading to 70 free-throws in total. Despite being out-rebounded, 60-48, CSI did force 25 Lehman turnovers to their 16.
Leading the way for CSI was Hepworth, who dumped in 21 points to go with eight rebounds and three steals. Myhre finished with 21 points and four rebounds, while Gallinaro finished with 11 and freshman Alyssa Carlsen 10. Lehman saw 24 points from DelRosario and 21 from Amani Lightbourne. LC’s Shalaya Nieves tallied 14 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.
The Dolphins defeated the Lightning earlier in the season, 91-64, at the Sports & Recreation Center, and have now won five straight over Lehman in the all-time series.
?CSI will be back in action on Saturday, when they travel to John Jay College in Manhattan, for another CUNYAC test at 3pm. CSI defeated John Jay, 71-48, earlier this season.
