The College of Staten Island women’s basketball team has earned their 9th win of the season and fourth CUNYAC win after taking down the Lightning of Lehman College 80-73 at The Tank. The Dolphins improved to 9-2, 4-0 CUNYAC while the Lightning dropped to .500 at 6-6, 2-2 CUNYAC. 

Christina Pasaturo had a strong performance, netting 22 points and grabbing 9 rebounds. Rosa Perone added a season-high 11 points to go along with seven rebounds.

Jacquelyn Cali got things started for the Dolphins, converting a layup to give the Dolphins an early lead over their rivals. Lillybeth Garcia would answer right back with a steal and a layup at the other end. The lead would flip-flop back-and-forth before the Dolphins secured a one-point lead by the end of the first quarter. Lehman found success in the paint in the first quarter, tallying 12 of their 18 points from the inside.

Lehman struggled in the second quarter, tallying just three points as the Dolphins used suffocating defense to cause turnovers and poor shot attempts. Staten Island would use a 14-0 run to take a 15-point lead, their largest of the half. Rosa Perone was crucial during that 14-point swing, cleaning the glass and converting contested shots inside the painted area. The lone three points of the quarter from the Lightning would come from a trio of Lightning players knocking down one free-throw each. 

At the half, the Dolphins held a 14-point lead, 35-21, with momentum on their side.

Both teams had an offensive explosion in the third quarter, with Lehman edging out the Dolphins 27-26. Christina Pasaturo led the charge, cashing in 11 of her 22 points which helped the Dolphins keep their lead. Lynda Fields was able to best Pasaturo in the third quarter by pouring in 12 points which kept the Lightning in the game and switched momentum into the hands of the Lightning. 

Lisa Fields cut the lead down to 9 with 6:43 left in the game when her layup found the bottom of the net. Diana Todaro brought the lead back up to double digits with a wide open layup as Pasaturo was able to manipulate the defense. A layup with 2:10 remaining by Eugenie Maguire brought the game within five points, the closest the Lightning were able to get to the Dolphins since the beginning of the second quarter. Staten Island opted to use the full clock before taking a shot, and Samantha Flecker allowed the Dolphins to hold onto the ball longer as she picked up offensive rebounds. Flecker would finish the game with 16 points and 10 rebounds, her second double-double of the season. 

With the teams separated by just five points, the Lightning chose not to foul as the time started to fade as they decided to trust their defense. When the Lighting did get control of the ball they weren’t able to knock down their shots, giving the Dolphins their 9th win of the season and fourth home win. 

The Dolphins return to action on Saturday when they face yet another CUNYAC opponent in Baruch College in New York, NY at 12:00 pm.
 

GAME VIDEO