New York, NY | The College of Staten Island women’s basketball spent the better part of the evening playing catch-up after a bad start, and were finally able to overcome John Jay College, 54-49, as part of CUNYAC play at The Doghouse this evening.  Winners of five in a row, the Dolphins moved to 15-4 overall and 8-1 in the CUNYAC, while the Bloodhounds moved to 9-9 overall and 5-5 in the CUNYAC.

A flying start for the home side helped keep CSI at bay almost the entire way.  Katie Healy drained the opening jumper of the game and JJC used it to start a 14-0 run over the game’s first seven minutes.  all 14 points were scored by Healy (eight points) and Karen Rosario (six points).  Finally, after missing their first 11 shots, Rosa Perone recorded CSI’s first points at 2:45 of the first quarter.  A lay-up by Megan McEwan ended a 7-0 CSI run, as the Dolphins were able to break the lead down to 16-7 at the end of the first frame.

Kayla Schmitter was able to cut the JJC lead down to seven, but a 6-0 spurt by the Bloodhounds, capped by an All’aha Albright lay-up put JJC back up by a bunch, 22-9 with 6:43 to go in the half.  Needing a lift, CSI found it by way of an 8-0 run that ended with a three-point play from McEwan.  After a trade of baskets, a late free-throw from Nicole Imbesi was able to cut the JJC lead to just four, 25-21, at intermission.

Although CSI had the momentum, they still could not overturn the deficit in the third quarter.  A Rosario basket put JJC up, 29-24, but the Dolphins responded with a 7-2 run, finally tying the game on a McEwan three, making it 31-31 with 3:57 to go.  A resilient JJC refused to surrender the advantage, however, using two more Rosario buckets to steady the Bloodhounds to a 37-35 lead at the end of the third frame.

Down to the final stanza, CSI had 10 minutes left to find a way to get the lead, and McEwan wasted no time, burying a three just four seconds in to give CSI their first lead, 38-37.  After a miss the other way, McEwan raced in for another lay-up to extend the lead, and after another JJC miss, Perone canned a lay-up to extend CSI to five, 42-37, with 8:28 to go.

The teams traded baskets from there, with CSI going up by as many as seven while JJC cut the lead to a single basket in two occasions.  In a key moment in the game, Healy made two freebies for JJC to cut CSI’s lead to 49-47 with just over three minutes to play.  JJC then forced two missed CSI baskets and a turnover over the next 1:27, but could not capitalize, and Perone buried a jumper with 1:38 to go to make it 51-47.  Neither team would hit from the field from there.  Forced to foul CSI made three of six free throws down the stretch to sucre the win, 54-49.

McEwan led CSI with 18 points, while Schmitter added 11 points and five rebounds.  Perone poured in nine points and led CSI with six rebounds.  Healy led all scorers for JJC with 20 points, adding 14 boards.  Rosario was next in line with 18 points and eight rebounds.  CSI was out-rebounded 46-38, but JJC did commit a heavy 33 turnovers.

CSI will look to keep their momentum going when they host Medgar Evers College in their next contest, on Saturday, January 26, at 3:00 pm.