The College of Staten Island men’s basketball team is officially rolling, winning five straight games coming in to their second pass through the CUNYAC schedule, and tonight the Dolphins get set to host Hunter College at the Sports & Recreation Center. A win by the Dolphins would spell their longest winning streak of the season.
CSI vs. HUNTER COLLEGE AT-A-GLANCE
Matchup: CSI (13-4 overall, 6-2 CUNYAC) vs. Hunter College (1-16 Overall, 1-7 CUNYAC)
Where: Sports & Recreation Center – 2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY
Ticket Info: $5 General Admission / Free – CSI Students, Faculty & Staff
Tip-Off: 7:30pm
Live Video: Http://www.csidolphins.com/CSISportsNet
Promotional Info: One fan picked at random will have a chance to win $5,000 in a halftime promotion
All-Time Series: CSI leads 42-23
Last Meeting:: CSI won 90-78
Players To Watch (CSI): Will Fonseca had a dazzling performance against Kean on Monday, pouring in 23 points and 14 rebounds to lift his per game averages this year to 22.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest, both team highs. The last time these two teams played, Fonseca had an almost identical performance, putting in 24 points with 14 boards. Look for sophomore Edin Bracic to be a factor. Last time these two teams met, Bracic recorded a season-high 19 points. Dolphins are 7-1 this season against NCAA Division III opponents when he scored 10+ in a game.
Players To Watch (HC): Three-point specialist Brian Kruger is averaging over 15 points per game, the only Hawks player averaging in double figures. He is also second on the squad with 48 assists. Kruger did not play in the loss earlier this season to CSI. The Hawks were led by Robert Ashamole’s 12 points that evening. Look for Gerard Carty to be a factor. He scored 10 points in the last meeting and is averaging 8.7 points and a team-best 57 assists this year.
News and Notes: CSI has had a stranglehold on the all-time series of late, winning the last 12 meetings and 22 of the last 24 meetings dating all the way back to 2000. Ironically, the only two Hunter wins during that stretch came at the Sports & Recreation Center in 2007 and 2009. Despite their overall record, Hunter has been the victim of some bad luck, claiming a 0-7 record in games decided by 10 points or less. The Dolphins are 4-3 in such games. In their recent 12 game win streak over Hunter, six of those wins came by less than 10 points, including one in overtime. Rebounding continues to be a big factor for CSI. The Dolphins have now won 10 straights when winning the rebounding war, including all five games on this recent win streak. Hunter is a minus 3.5 in the rebounding column per game this season.
