Playing at the Barclays Center, the home floor of the National Basketball Association’s Brooklyn Nets organization, the College of Staten Island women’s basketball team scored a 67-55 win over the St. Joseph’s College (Brooklyn) Bears in a non-conference test this afternoon. ,The win, the second-straight for the Dolphins, improved the team to 5-5 overall, while the Bears fell to 4-4.

The exciting contest began with a see-saw first half, one that saw eight lead changes before CSI nestled in with a modest, four-point advantage at the break. ,A Victoria Gallinaro jumper at 14:48 started CSI on an 8-2 run that gave the squad a 16-10 lead almost midway into the stanza. ,After a Taylor Raccuglia jump shot by SJC with just over six minutes to play in the frame made it 20-18 in the Bears’ favor, CSI responded with 14-8 spurt to close the half. ,CSI’s next four baskets would be scored via the three-pointer, the first two by freshman Samantha Flecker to pace the visitors.

As hot as the Dolphins were to end the first half, they came out sloppy in the second, misfiring on their first three shots and turning the ball over three times as SJC worked their way back to take a 35-32 on another Raccuglia bucket four minutes into the stanza. ,The Dolphins responded, however, with a Victoria Crea three point play, and after a SJC miss, freshman Christina Pasaturo doubled with another basket and point-after to give CSI back the lead, and this time, the Dolphins would never trail again.

At 12:29 a Destiny Marino three for the Bears cut CSI’s lead to a basket, 46-44, but a 10-2 run for the Dolphins followed over the next six minutes, highlighted by a three from Megan Myhre and a pair of buckets from Alyssa Carlsen, giving the Dolphins a double-digit lead and full control from there.

CSI shot just 37% from the field led by Myhre’s 16 points, followed by 13 points and ,10 rebounds from Pasaturo. ,CSI forced 26 SJC turnovers, and were a sharp 16-21 from the free-throw line, while the Bears struggled, connecting on just 13 of 25 attempts from the stripe. ,Samantha Retas led all Bears with 17 points, followed by 15 points and 10 rebounds from Marino.

CSI is next in action a week from today, traveling to Springfield, MA, to participate in the Springfield College holiday tournament where they will open against DeSales University at 3pm.