Staten Island, NY | The College of Staten Island Women's Basketball team powered to their fifth-straight win this afternoon on Alumni Day, scoring an 81-56 winner over visiting John Jay College.  The win, CSI's 10th in their last 12 games, lifted CSI to 10-8 overall, while the Bloodhounds fell to 8-10.

A strong start served to pace Staten Island for the game, as they were able to weather some John Jay flurries enough to build their lead steadily before settling for the 25-point win.

CSI wasted little time getting out to a healthy advantage, scoring the game's first eight points over the first five-plus minutes.  Megan McEwan started the run with a lay-up on the Dolphins' opening possession, and she finished the run after two baskets by Kayla Schmitter.  After a Lily Rakitzis jumper stopped the run, CSI then went on another 6-0 bender to open up a 14-2 lead, powered by back-to-back lay-ups from Jada Rogers and Deidre Foster.  CSI kept their foot on the gas, eventually advancing to 19-6 lead after the game's first quarter.

Kristina Arvelo then stole the show in the second quarter, connecting on a couple of three's and then a jumper to help CSI to a 24-7 advantage a little over two minutes into the second frame.  The Bloodhounds then started to catch fire, capitalizing on a pair of Dolphins' turnovers in the process to help nurture a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to 24-16.  Katie Healy connected on a pair of jumpers including one in the act of getting fouled to spearhead the run.  CSI needed a lift, and got one minutes later, when they closed the half on a 9-3 run, helped by a pair of Foster drives and a three from Brianna Robisky.  At the half, CSI equaled their game high, 17-point, lead, 38-21.

As hot as the Dolphins were shooting in the first half, they did not relent in the second half, extending to as many as 27 just four minutes into the third quarter thanks to a 15-5 start to the quarter, highlighted by a three-point play by Rogers and two Todaro baskets.  JJC cut the lead to 19 on a Healy basket and then a Rakitzis freebie at 4:08 to go in the third, but a 10-3 finish by CSI down the stretch, staked CSI to a 63-37 edge at the end of three, accentuated by three's from Arvelo and McEwan.

A 12-2 run midway through the fourth gave CSI their biggest lead at 77-43 in the fourth, before JJC would chip away enough to cut the final margin of victory to 25 points by game's end.  

CSI's balanced attack was led by McEwan's 17 points, adding five assists, while Todaro powered for 12 points and 18 rebounds in just 25 minutes of play.  Arvelo scored 14 while Kayla Schmitter and Foster each tallied 10 points each.  Healy led all John Jay scorers with 18 points, while Rakitzis powered for 14 points and seven rebounds, and Nyasha Howard scored 12 points and eight boards.  CSI shot a crisp 47.3% (35-74), holding the Bloodhounds to just 22-67 from the field (32.8%).  CSI held a commanding edge in rebounding, 53-32.

Now armed with their longest win streak of the season, CSI will get ready for their next contest, a road date against City College of New York on Tuesday, January 28, 2020, at 5 PM.

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