STATEN ISLAND, NY – The College of Staten Island men's basketball team ignited their 2025-26 campaign on Friday evening, opening the 23rd Annual Tournament of Heroes with a matchup against Saint Michael's College at the Tank.

CSI jumped out to a quick 4-0 start behind early baskets from Aaron Goldstein and Asa Kone. Saint Michael's responded with a 6-4 edge of their own, but Goldstein answered from long range with back-to-back threes to reclaim the lead, 9-6. Later in the half, Joey Poulin pushed the Dolphins to their largest advantage of the frame at seven, 31-24, after sinking a free throw. The Purple Knights, however, closed the period on a 4-0 run to cut the CSI lead to 34-32 at the break.

The second half quickly turned into a heavyweight battle. Saint Michael's controlled the early tempo and built a six-point lead nine minutes into the stanza. But with their backs against the wall, the Dolphins found another gear. Elijah Darby sparked the rally with a long-range jumper, and moments later, Mitchell Wiggan electrified the Tank with a powerful dunk to bring CSI within one, 45-44.

Darby and Wiggan continued to fuel the comeback, keeping the Dolphins within striking distance as the clock wound down. A key defensive stop led to a fastbreak finish from Goldstein, cutting the deficit to 51-50. Wiggan, Goldstein, and JJ Chestnut then combined for a crucial surge to flip the scoreboard, giving CSI a 56-51 lead. Freshman Andrew Benedict added his first collegiate bucket—a confident jumper from the top of the key—to extend the advantage to 62-53.

Riding that momentum, the Dolphins controlled the closing minutes and secured a 77-71 victory to open their season in the win column. The Dolphins were led by Goldstein's 27 points followed by Wiggan with 14 and Chestnut with 11. Poulin dominated the boards with a team-high of 11 and added five assists.

CSI returns to the Tank tomorrow afternoon for the final day of the Tournament of Heroes, taking on Chestnut Hill College at 2:00 PM.