The College of Staten Island men's basketball squad used a dominating opening run to start the game, then protected their lead in the latter stages, to keep host Brooklyn College at bey the entire evening, in an 85-72 win at the Roosevelt Gymnasium in Brooklyn, NY. The win gives CSI (4-2 overall, 2-0 CUNYAC) a three-game winning streak and drops Brooklyn College to 3-3 overall and 0-2 in CUNYAC play.
The Dolphins wasted no time in trying to tally a win, keeping the loud Brooklyn College crowd in check with an opening 12-3 run to start the game over the first 4:02. The run was sparked by sophomore forward Sean Weismuller, who tallied eight points in the four minute span. After a timeout, CSI went right back to work, exploding to an 18-point advantage, 30-12, with 7:55 to play in the opening stanza, capped by a three-point bomb by freshman guard Ryan Hennessey.
Brooklyn would not go quietly however, as back-to-back baskets by BC's Miguel Lopez and Reginald Posey, put the Bridges back to within striking distance, 42-34, at halftime.
CSI's defense then was put to the task. Back up by 17 points with 10:55 to play, CSI was hit with severe foul trouble, reinforced by three fouls to Weismuller inside of five seconds, including a technical, which saw him foul out of the game. BC used the momentum swing to their advantage, cutting the CSI lead to single digits on six seperate occassions. Needing a player to step up, CSI got it in the form of junior forward Gari Blackett, who scored 15 of his game-high 20 points in the second frame, and who grabbed a game-high 11 caroms to his credit. Several free-throws later, CSI finally came away with a well-cushioned win, 85-72.
CSI shot a sizzling 58.3% from the field (28-48) and held the advantage on the boards, 35-26. The Dolphins also capitalized off turnovers, scoring 30 points on 26 BC errors. Robert Mesjasz notched a season-high 16 points for the Dolphins, while Weismuller tallied all 11 of his points in the first half. Christian Montervino and Ryan Hennessey each scored 11 points. BC's Lopez led all scorers with 23 markers.
CSI will return to action on Monday, December 11, when they host non-conference rival Farmingdale State University, at 7:30pm, at the Sports & Recreation Center.
