Top-seeded College of Staten Island used a balanced effort and shot over 60% from the floor, in a 93-83, win over visiting No. 8 John Jay College in the quarterfinal round of the 46th Annual CUNYAC/Con Edison Men’s Basketball Postseason Championship played this afternoon at the Sports & Recreation Center.  The loss finalized the season for the Bloodhounds (9-17 overall, 3-10 CUNYAC), while the Dolphins (16-9, 10-3) will take on No. 4 Brooklyn College in the semifinal round on Wednesday, February 23, at 6pm at Nat Holman Gymnasium at City College of New York.
A 90-79 winner over John Jay earlier this season, CSI assumed control of this contest midway through the first half, never relinquishing the lead beyond the 12:41 mark of the opening frame.  CSI shot a blistering 60.9% from the floor, putting up 24 less shots than the visiting Bloodhounds.  The difference was made up at the charity stripe, where CSI buried 30-of-40 free-throws (75%), while JJC banked just 6-of-13 chances (46.2%).
In a back-and-forth opening eight minutes, the lead exchanged hands a total of 9 times, as both teams answered opposing baskets in a crisp-shooting first half.  CSI’s first two buckets came via T.J. Tibbs three’s while a Justin Alleyne three, and later, lay-ups by the Bloodhounds’ Jamar Harry and Jerome Alexander gave the visitors modest leads.  A David Hughes lay-up with 12:41 to go finally gave the Dolphins a 16-15 lead, and it began a 12-0 run for the Dolphins that included another two long-range jumpers from Hughes and a three-point goal from Bloochy Magliore.
After an Alleyne basket stopped the bleeding for John Jay, another 9-4 Dolphins spurt featuring a three-point play by Tibbs and a driving lay-up by Jordan Young, gave the Dolphins their biggest lead. 34-19, with 5:14 to play.  The Bloodhounds chipped away to cut the lead to eight on a pair of Alexander freebies at 2:28, but CSI closed the half on a 10-2 run, which included a Magliore three at the buzzer, to give CSI its biggest advantage at intermission, 46-30.
A determined John Jay team ripped off the first six points of the second frame, which incuded another two Alexander baskets, but the hot-shooting Dolphins raced out to another 11-2 run, aided by a pair of Young baskets and a three-pointer by Dale Taranto, his first field goal of the game to that point, givinG CSI full control at 57-38, with 14:33 to play.
From there, the game measured back-and-forth, with John Jay cutting the lead down to 16, before CSi earned their biggest lead of the game, 74-53, with 5:57 to go via another three-pointer by Louis Valdes.  From there, John Jay used the final handful of minutes to cut away at the lead, doing most of the damage inside the last two minutes, forcing CSI to make 14-of-19 free-throws inside the final two and a half minutes as the Bloodhounds fouled on every possession.  Mixed into the free-throw shooting, Isaiah Holman buried a pair of three’s and Alexander banked in another to make the final score respectable.
CSI won the rebounding battle, 34-27, adding a 7-for-13 mark from behind the arc as well.  Tibbs led the way for the Dolphins, notching 29 points to go with five assists and a pair of rebounds.  Young posted a double-double with 20 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.  Taranto scored 13 of his 15 points in the second stanza, going a perfect 8-8 on the charity stripe.  Magliore came off of the CSI bench to post 12 points and four rebounds.  John Jay’s Jamar Harry led the way with 20 points, adding seven rebounds while Alexander poured in 19 points.  Holman added 17 for the visitors.
The win by the Dolphins advances them to the semifinal round, pitting them against No. 4 Brooklyn College in a game to be played at the City College of New York at 6:00 pm on Wednesday.  Admission is free for the game but spectators must have a ticket to enter the game.  For ticket information call (718) 982-3169.  CSI is also providing free transportation to and from the game on Wednesday on a first-come, first-serve basis.  The CSI fan bus will be leaving the CSI campus from the front of the Sports & Recreation Center at 4:00pm on Wednesday.