Staten Island, NY | The College of Staten Island Men's Basketball team cruised to a big halftime edge and expanded their lead to as many as 25 before weathering a late surge by visiting City College of New York to ultimately score an 80-67 win at The Tank in what was the first game for both teams against CUNYAC competition.  CSI, winners of three of their last four, extended their overall record to 3-4, while the Beavers fell to a season-opening 0-7.

It took both teams some time to get settled and find their shooting touch, as the units battled to just an 8-8 tie after the game's first five minutes.  From there, CSI caught fire, as Rigaud Destime nailed a three, and Chris Velasquez joined the three-point party with a pair of threes and Andrew Kartalis added another, to aid CSI in what was ultimately a 20-2 run that gave the Dolphins a commanding 28-10 lead at the 9:31 mark of the first half.

Romello Rashad and Athanasios Kamberis helped crawl CCNY back to within 11, 28-17, but CSI then ripped off a 15-3 answer to skyrocket the first half lead to 43-20 with just three minutes remaining.  Kartalis, Austin Mick, and Bryan Gomez continued the three-point show, while Adeola Latunji and Destime added transition lay-ups to spark the run.  By the end of the first 20 minutes, CSI was in full control, 45-23.

The opening stages of the second half were no different, as CSI immediately took their biggest lead, 51-26, on another three by Kartalis, but from there, CCNY methodically began to chip away, making it a game.  A 12-2 run by the Beavers over 2:06 was the first cut of the lead as Daniel Piszczatowski and Yassine Sakhi had a pair of baskets each.  Later, after CSI went back up by 18 on a Velasquez short jumper, the teams traded baskets for the better part of six minutes before CSI went back up, 73-53, with 7:45 to play on yet another Kartalis three.

But CSI would hit a snag from there, as CCNY proceeded to go on a 14-2 run over the next five minutes, ultimately cutting the lead down to just 75-67 with 2:33 to play as both Isaiah Denard and Isaiah Williams each posted a pair of baskets.  CCNY would continue to have chances, but two turnovers and two missed shots on their next four possessions did the team in, and CCNY would not score from there as CSI camped at the free-throw line and made five in six attempts inside of the final minute to ultimately prevail, 80-67.

CSI finished shooting 47.6% from the floor, while connecting on 13 three-point shots on a whopping 35 attempts.  For CCNY, they finished 38.5% (25-65) while making 9-of-26 three-pointers (34.6%).  Adeola Latunji and Chris Velasquez posted 16 points apiece for CSI while Kartalis finished with 15 points and Mick 12,  Latunji would add 11 rebounds, while Joseph Zieris finished the game with five blocked shots, tied for the 9th-highest total in CSI single-game history.  Sakhi led all scorers for CCNY with 20 points adding 10 rebounds for the double-double while Rashad posted 16 points and nine rebounds.

CSI will be back in action when they travel to take on Medgar Evers College on the road in Brooklyn on Friday, at 8:00 pm, part of a doubleheader at Medgar Evers' campus.

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