The College of Staten Island men’s basketball unit stayed hot on Monday, taking a road, non-conference, matinee over Kean University by a 76-66 count in Union, NJ, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The win was the fifth-straight for the Dolphins, who are now 11-6 overall, while the loss sent the Cougars to 0-16.
CSI led almost the entire way, shaking off a back-and-forth start with a flurry five minutes in that led to a 16-0 run and a 24-12 lead with 11:07 to go in the first frame. Junior guard Edin Bracic was crisp from the outside, lacing back-to-back three’s to start the rush while freshman Christian Taylor added a triple and a lay-up as well.
Kean would respond by cutting the lead to just 26-21 on a three-point play by Mike Summerer, but CSI hit back again with back-to-back three’s by newcomer Darryl Bryant that put CSI back up by double-digits. The teams would parry from there and CSI hit the lockers equaling their biggest lead in the game, 42-30.
Another three by Bracic gave CSi their biggest least at 47-34 in the opening stages of the second half, and from then on, the Cougars worked furiously to try and get back in the game. The Cougars were able to cut into the lead, and with just over eight minutes to play, Keenan Williams, Jr., made it a 60-54 game. But CSI’s Khaleeq Baum responded with a pair of freebies, and with Kean going cold from the floor, Taylor, Bracic, and Frank Schettino all converted underneath baskets to give CSI a 68-56 edge with just over four minutes to play.
From there, CSI went up by as many as a game-high 15 points, before settling for a 76-66 final in a game where they led for the final 34 minutes.
Bracic led the Dolphins with 20 points, adding seven rebounds. Schettino, the nation’s leader in assists, finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. Kean was paced by Justin Watson’s 15 points, while Kevin Grk finished with 12 points. CSI held a healthy 47-28 edge on the boards.
The five-game win streak for the Dolphins is their longest of the season. CSI will put it on the line on Wednesday, when they travel to face John Jay College to resume CUNYAC play for an 8pm tilt.
