The College of Staten Island men’s basketball unit successfully snapped their three-game losing skid, going on the road to defeat Baruch College in CUNYAC play, 64-62.  The Dolphins, who got off to a huge lead in the first half and then held off the Bearcats in the final seconds, improved to 5-7 overall and 4-1 in the CUNYAC while Baruch fell to 5-7, 2-2, respectively.

A great first half, one that saw the Dolphins take as much as an 18-point lead while shooting 57.7% from the floor, saw CSI take a 37-21 lead into the locker room.  The Dolphins got off to a 9-2 start, book-ended by a pair of Robert Rossiter baskets, the last a three at 16:05.

After back-and-forth play, a pair of Christian Taylor free-throws gave CSI it’s first double-digit lead, 15-5, at 12:04.  A William Sixsmith lay-up knocked the CSI lead down to 20-16 with exactly six minutes to play, but the Dolphins retaliated with a 17-5 run to end the frame.  Rossiter and Edin Bracic started the run with back-to-back three’s while Raymond Savage added another moments before halftime.

Intermission served the home team well.  After CSI scored the first two baskets to take its biggest lead at 41-21, Baruch started to make their move.  

The Bearcats posted an 11-0 run to cut the lead to 49-41, and later, after a trade-off of baskets, Baruch used a 9-0 run to close to 55-52.  Andre Harris posted a three and Sixsmith added another.

After a Stephen Flagg three put CSI up, 58-52, Sixsmith tallied another three and Harris dropped in another to tie the game at 58-58 with 1:51 to go.

Up 61-60 with under 30 seconds to play, CSI made a huge basket when Jade Spencer posted a lay-up with 20 seconds to play.  Baruch countered with a Chimaechi Ekekeugbor lay-up with eight seconds to foul, but forced to foul, the Bearcats put Bracic on the line with six seconds to play.

Bracic would miss the first free-throw, but made the second to extend CSI to 64-62.  Down to one last shot, Baruch opted for a game-winning three, but Ekekeugbor would misfire as time expired, salvaging the win for CSI, ending their three-game slide.

Taylor led the Dolphins’ attack with 14 points and seven assists, while Rossiter also posted 14 points and a team-best six boards.  Ekekeugbor finished with 17 points and added a game-high 13 rebounds.  Sixsmith and Harris each added 14 points in the loss.

The Dolphins would finish shooting 49% from the floor, posting 9-20 from beyond the arc.  Baruch finished with 36.8% shot clip from the floor, out-rebounding the Dolphins, 34-30.

The Dolphins will next be in action when they face Medgar Evers College on January 9, on the road at 8pm, continuing their CUNYAC slate.