Lebanon Valley College pounced on CSI early, and then weathered a second half comeback to storm past the Dolphins in the Rinso Marquette Tip-off Tournament Championship by a 95-65 count. The win improved the Dutchmen to 2-0, while CSI fell to 1-2.
LVC stormed out to an 8-0 lead, powered by a pair of Will Boccanfuso drives, holding CSI scoreless for the opening 4:44 in the process. The Dutchmen then ballooned to a 15-3 lead via three Sam Light points to take full control early. After cutting the lead to seven on a Krystian Kopec three, LVC ripped off a 15-2 run, extending to 30-10 at 6:49 to go in the stanza.
The lead would inch forward to as many as 27 in the frame, and the host school held the Dolphins to just 28.6% shooting in the first half (8-28). Ultimately, the Dutchmen would take a 48-25 lead into the locker room.
After being out-scored, 32-8, in the paint in the first half, CSI started to turn the tide a bit in the second half. Three baskets from Adeola Latunji and another pair from Christian Taylor whittled the lead down to 54-41 after the first six minutes of the second half, and in the process CSI seemed to be neutralizing the inside presence of a taller, more physical, Dutchmen side.
LVC, however, would adjust and answer. Taking advantage of free-throws by Andy Orr and then a three and a lay-in by Light steadied the Dutchmen back up by 16, but a resilient CSI countered with a three by Taylor to make it 64-52 with 10:29 to go.
Unfortunately, that was as close as CSI would get, as following a timeout, LVC ripped off a 10-0 run, and after a trading of baskets, which included two straight three’s from CSI’s Taylor and Kopec, LVC countered with a 16-5 run in the final 7:04 to win the game going away.
CSI was severely out-rebounded, 50-31, and 25 CSI fouls led to 20 more chances at the line for LVC, as they converted 24-32 from the stripe. CSI was a +2 in the turnover column, but a 36.2% shooting night was no match for the Dutchmen, who shot 51.6% for the night.
Light led all LVC players with 21 points to go with seven rebounds, while Orr finished with 19 points and eight rebounds. CSI was led by Taylor’s career-high 24 points, while Darryl Bryant added 10. Taylor and Latunji, who finished with nine points, were named to the All-Tournament Team.
This wa sthe second all-time meeting between the teams, and LVC improved to 2-0 all-time against the Dolphins, both times as part of the Rinso Marquette Tournament.
After playing their first three games of the season in less than four days, CSI will get some much needed rest before travelling to nearby Wagner College on Tuesday to take on the NCAA Division I school at the Spiro Center at 7pm.
