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College of Staten Island Athletics

COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND ATHLETICS
MBB3123_ECCFINAL
75
Staten Island STATEN I 9-19, 7-9
85
Winner Dist. Columbia DIST. CO 13-13, 10-6
Staten Island STATEN I
9-19, 7-9
75
Final
85
Dist. Columbia DIST. CO
13-13, 10-6
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Staten Island STATEN I 35 40 75
Dist. Columbia DIST. CO 52 33 85

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

DOLPHINS COMEBACK FALLS JUST SHORT IN CLOSING MINUTES OF ECC PLAYOFF MATCHUP WITH FIREBIRDS

Washington, D.C. - The College of Staten Island Men's Basketball Team pushed the University of the District of Columbia to the limit tonight in their Division II postseason debut, but their comeback bid fell just short in the closing minutes of an 85-75 defeat.  The Dolphins, who trailed by as many as 23 points in the first half, are eliminated from the East Coast Conference Championship Tournament with the loss.  The Firebirds advance to take on the Spartans of St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill, NY on Saturday in the conference semifinals.

The Dolphins got off to a very poor start at both ends of the floor struggling to score, rebound, and prevent easy baskets around the rim.  As a result they immediately fell behind 8-0 to start the game before a Bryce Waterman three finally opened the scoring for CSI.  From there, the Firebirds scored the next five points to take their first double-digit lead of the game, 13-3, and things didn't get much better for the Dolphins after that.  CSI battled back to within eight, but a 9-0 UDC run extended the lead to seventeen just nine minutes into the game.  Within three minutes, the Dolphins would cut the lead back down to single-digits behind the scoring of Jordan McAllister and JJ Chestnut.  However, the Firebirds ended the half on yet another scoring run and went into the locker room leading by seventeen.

In need of a spark, the second half started much like the first half for the Dolphins as they surrendered the first six points following the intermission.  Not only was the team now behind by a game-high 23 points, but they were also without Messiah Mallory who was relegated to the bench with four fouls.  Despite the absence of their leading scorer and rebounder, the Dolphins slowly worked their way back into the game due in large part to the effort of Chestnut.  Chestnut scored nine consecutive Dolphins points before a Chris Velasquez three cut the UDC lead down to eleven.  The Firebirds immediately scored the next four to make it a fifteen-point game, but Waterman answered with another three to get CSI back within twelve.

Now well within striking distance, the Dolphins brought Mallory back into the game, and he greeted the Firebirds with an emphatic fast break dunk to make it a five-point game.  Velasquez then buried another three moments later to get the Dolphins within four.  CSI would not get within a single possession until the 2:39 mark when a Mallory tip-in made it a two-point game.  Unfortunately for CSI, the comeback bid would be halted here by a Juanye Colon three-pointer.  The Dolphins would only score once more the rest of the way and could not connect on the outside shots they needed to remain in the game during the closing seconds.  Ultimately, CSI would go on to lose by ten, and despite one of their most resilient performances of the season, their first appearance in the East Coast Conference playoffs ends after one game.

Chestnut scored 28 points to set a new career scoring high for the Dolphins in his final outing of an impressive freshman season.  McAllister scored 17, most coming in a first half where he helped keep the Dolphins afloat as they struggled for offense.  Three Firebirds finished with at least 11 rebounds, and without Mallory on the floor, the Dolphins struggled mightily on the glass.  CSI was outrebounded by 20 in the game, and both Hartnel Haye and Micah Campbell had a double-double.  Colon led UDC in scoring with 22 points and the Firebirds were the far more efficient team from the field in the game.

Though the Dolphins season ends with a loss in their ECC postseason debut, the team returns four of their five starters next year and will keep much of their roster intact.  With another dose of playoff experience and a roster filled with returning players, they seek to remain a regular part of the conference playoff picture moving forward.  The team finishes the 2022-2023 season 9-19 overall and 7-10 against conference opponents including tonight's matchup with the Firebirds.  Their 7-9 mark against the ECC in the regular season earned them the #5 seed in this year's conference tournament.

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