GAME VIDEO – The College of Staten Island men’s basketball team climbed their way back to .500 on the season and extended their CUNYAC record to a perfect 3-0 this evening, soaring over City College of New York by an 83-64 count at the Sports & Recreation Center.  CSI senior Frank Schettino added another record to his mantle in the process, tying the school record for assists in a single game with 14.  The Dolphins leveled to 4-4 overall with the win, while the Beavers fell to 2-5 overall and 1-2 within the CUNYAC.

The Dolphins led comfortably from the mid-stages of the first half on, but the opening minutes featured a pair of ties and four lead changes.  CSI raced out to a 7-2 lead, powered by four straight Kevon Murphy baskets and a three-ball by Edin Bracic, but CCNY retaliated with a 10-0 response over the next three minutes powered by a Khalil Hamer three point play and a pair of freebies by him as well.

From there, the game teetered back and forth.  A Christian Taylor jumper, however, started a 16-4 rally for the Dolphins over the next five minutes, to extend CSI to a 30-18 lead with just under 9 minutes to play in the opening stanza.  Bracic would add another three in the spurt, and senior Frank Schettino added a pair of assists part of 9 in the first half.

CSI continued the assault, and added a 12-2 run that put them up by a bunch, 44-24, before they would settle on a 44-29 halftime edge.

From there, the Dolphins used solid defense that would force 19 Beavers turnovers and 39.7% shooting to guide themselves the rest of the way. After CCNY cut the lead to 14 in the opening stages of the second frame, CSI would extend to as much as a 25 point lead, the final time at 13:21 to go, to score a 64-39 edge.  Schettino and Bracic would add a pair of jumpers each to buffer the lead.  The lead would prove to be insurmountable, as CCNY would not get to within 17 points the rest of the way.

The Dolphins finished the game shooting 53.1% from the field, and out-rebounded the Beavers, 42-35.  The Dolphins also owned the paint, scoring a 54-34 point advantage in that category.  Murphy led all scorers with 21 points while Schettino added a double-double with 16 points and the 14 assists.  He would also add seven rebounds and five steals.  The 14 assists tied the marks set by T.J. Tibbs in 2012 and Kevin Harris in 1981.  The Beavers were led by Mark Richards’ 16 points.

The Dolphins are now idle until Friday, when they visit Lehman College at 7pm where they will put their undefeated CUNYAC record on the line.