STATEN ISLAND, NY – The College of Staten Island men's basketball team opens East Coast Conference (ECC) play on Wednesday evening when they host Mercy University at the Tank. CSI leads the all-time series 5–3, though the teams split last season's meetings. The Dolphins earned a 106–89 road win, while Mercy edged CSI at the Tank with a buzzer-beating 79–77 finish.

In that season-opening win in Dobbs Ferry, the Dolphins controlled the game from start to finish. Asa Kone paced CSI with a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds, followed by Aaron Goldstein's 20 points and four steals. JJ Chestnut added 17 points and a team-high four assists to help secure the dominant victory, but weeks later, Mercy responded with late-game heroics to claim the narrow home win.

This season, CSI enters the matchup with a 4–3 overall record after battling through a challenging schedule featuring nationally ranked opponents and teams receiving national votes. The Dolphins went 1–1 last week, falling to RV Pace University on a last-second play before bouncing back with an 80–67 win over Georgian Court. Mercy, meanwhile, is still searching for its first victory of the year, entering the night at 0–5.

Goldstein leads the Dolphins with 21.4 ppg while also tallying 19 assists and 14 steals. Chestnut and Mitchell Wiggan each contribute 11.3 ppg, with Chestnut adding a team-high 30 assists and six blocks. Kone remains a force in the paint, averaging 9.1 ppg, a team-leading 8.9 rebounds, and seven blocks. Mercy features three players averaging double figures, with one also leading the Mavericks on the boards at 5.6 rebounds per game.

CSI currently holds the edge in shooting efficiency, entering the contest with a 42% field-goal percentage compared to Mercy's 39%.