The College of Staten Island women’s basketball team picked up their third straight win tonight on the back of Victoria Gallinaro’s hot streak to improve to 11-6 overall and 7-2 in the CUNYAC. The Hawks fall to 6-11 overall and 3-6 in the CUNYAC.
 
The Dolphins started off with an explosive 14-4 run over the Hunter College Hawks.  Victoria Gallinaro was a huge part of that run as she shot a perfect 3-for-3 from three-point range.  The Dolphins would see that lead quickly diminish over the course of the first quarter as Hunter College settled in and found their rhythm and was able to cut the lead down to just four before the first quarter came to a close.
 
Samantha Flecker took a half high 13 shots in the first half and only converted four of them for a total of 9 points for the Dolphins two of which came in the first quarter.  Staten Island was able to keep the Hawks at bay and quell their comeback while extending their lead back to where it was early in the first quarter.  Christina Pasaturo’s three-point shot gave the Dolphins a much needed boost as there was a two minute span where they were unable to find the bottom of the net.
 
The Dolphins held the Hawks to just six points in the second quarter which is just one point more than the Dolphins held them to in a quarter in their last meeting (5). 
 
Widly Couloute and Christine Patterson of Hunter College were the point collectors for the Hawks in the first half as they put up a combined 12 points out of 19.  The mid-range game of Patterson started to get going but was ended by the half time buzzer.  Couloute was able to exploit the paint with Nicole Vierno out of the game and lay them off the glass for a team high six points in the first half. Couloute also limited the Dolphins’ second chance opportunities by grabbing any loose rebounds.
 
Flecker was able to put the Dolphins back up double digits with a three-point shot with 2:19 remaining in the half. The Hawks, on the other hand would go scoreless for the final 3:30 of the half.  Vierno would send the Dolphins into the locker room with a 31-19 lead after converting a pair of free throws with just six seconds remaining in the half.
 
Staten Island continued their dominance in the third quarter and came out of the break on a 9-2 run to extend their 14-point lead to 20 over a four minute span.  Rosa Perone had a huge second half where she scored 11 of her 14 points.  Perone’s 14 points were a career high for her tonight and she shot very efficiently as she converted 6-of-8 from the floor and knocked down two of her three free throws. 
 
The Hawks had a glimmer of hope in the fourth quarter as they started to become hot but the Dolphins quickly cooled them off as they continued their fast pace of play that the Hawks weren’t able to keep up with. 
 
Jamie Pifalo gave the Dolphins a 24-point lead with 6:52 to go in the fourth quarter when she drained her lone three-point basket of the game.  Gallinaro was held scoreless in the second quarter after her fast start but got back going towards the end of the game and converted six of her eight three’s for a season high 18 points. The six three’s is a career high for Gallinaro and will hope she can continue this good string of shooting as they get closer to the playoffs.
 
Flecker and Pasaturo both recorded a double-double tonight. Pasaturo nearly recorded her first career triple-double but failed to grab one more rebound and she finished the game with 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists.  Flecker was a rebounding machine tonight and grabbed 10 boards and dropped in 16 points in the win.
 
The Dolphins will return to action on Saturday where they will take on the College of New Rochelle at 1:00 PM at the CSI Sports & Rec Center.