The College of Staten Island men’s basketball team is looking to get back into the win column, and will have a big test tonight as they look to stay near the top of the CUNYAC standings when they show down with Baruch College. Tip-off is set for 7:30pm at the Sports & Recreation Center and the Dolphins will celebrate Senior Night with their final regular season home game. CSI is in a tie for second place in the standings with Brooklyn College with both teams trailing first-place Lehman College. One game back from them in fourth place stands Baruch, who are also still in the hunt for a regular season title.
CSI vs. BARUCH COLLEGE AT-A-GLANCE
Matchup: CSI (17-6 overall, 10-4 CUNYAC) vs. Baruch College (13-10 Overall, 9-5 CUNYAC)
Where: CSI Sports & Recreation Center – 2800 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, NY
Tip-Off: 7:30pm
Ticket Info: $5 General Admission / FREE – CSI Students, Faculty & Staff
Live Video: http://www.csidolphins.com/CSISportsNet
Promotion: Halftime $5,000 half court shot contest for a lucky fan
All-Time Series: CSI leads 49-21
Last Meeting: CSI defeated Baruch, 78-59
Players to Watch (CSI): Senior Will Fonseca leads the team with a 23.4 points-per-game average. He led the way with 18 points in the early-season win against Baruch. He now has 1,632 career points, good for 6th all-time, and needs three more to tie Head Coach Tony Petosa’s mark of 1,635. CSI’s Frank Schettino missed the early season meeting between these two sides, and he has returned to average 14.7 points and 5.1 assists per game. Senior Thomas Delahanty will be honored prior to tip off and he too is averaging in double figures with 10.7 points per game.
Players To Watch (BC): Chimaechi Ekekeugbor leads Baruch with a healthy 20.1 points-per-game average and also leads the way with 9.0 rebounds per contest. He was held to just 10 points during the early season meeting. Doyin Isaac led the way with 13 points that game, and he sits second on the team with 14.7 points per game. Raymond De La Cruz and Bryler Paige are each averaging 12 points per game, rounding out a very balanced Baruch attack.
News and Notes: Prior to tip, CSI will honor Fonseca, Delahanty and fellow seniors Greg Civiletti and Kevin Swanberg. CSI is 25-5 all-time at home against Baruch College, but the series has been even with both teams going 8-8 against the other since 2007. CSI’s 18-point win over the Bearcats in December was their largest win on the road against them since the 1998 season. Fonseca is also climbing up the career rebounding chart for CSI, having overtaken two former Dolphins recently to now sit 8th all-time with 741 rebounds. Only five other Dolphins have been able to record 800 or more in a career. Schettino is also closing in on history, needing only 40 more assists to tie the career assist record at 586. Free-throw shooting continues to be a focus for CSI. They are 9-1 this season when shooting over 67% from the line during games and are a rather pedestrian 8-5 when they do not. Baruch has posted similar numbers, as they are just 3-5 when shooting 68% or less. Baruch opponents are averaging a healthy 46% shooting clip from the floor this season. They will need to improve on that tonight. Baruch is 7-1 this season when they hold their opponents to under 43% shooting this season, but have struggled, going 6-9 when they have allowed over that mark. CSI is shooting 48% from the floor this season, one of the CUNYAC’s top teams in that category. When the Dolphins shoot over 43%, they are 16-2 this season.
