STATEN ISLAND, NY –  The College of Staten Island men's basketball team opened East Coast Conference (ECC) play on Wednesday night, hosting Mercy University at the Tank. The Dolphins built a strong lead by halftime and secured a 90–79 victory, improving to 1–0 in conference play, 5–3 overall, and remaining undefeated at home.

The opening minutes saw both teams trading baskets before Aaron Goldstein knocked down a three to give CSI a 7–4 edge. The Dolphins held the advantage until Mercy responded with a three of their own to take a 15–14 lead and CSI quickly answered as Eric Tynes, Andrew Benedict, and JJ Chestnut connected on three straight three-pointers, pushing the Dolphins ahead 26–18.

Mercy remained within reach throughout the frame, but Brandon Torres gave CSI its first double-digit lead of the season at 36–26. Goldstein added a layup shortly after, and Benedict closed the half with a three, sending the Dolphins into the locker room up 46–30.

CSI's momentum carried into the second half with a 5–2 burst led by Tynes and Asa Kone. Chestnut extended the lead to 20 at 60–42 before Mercy mounted a small run to trim the deficit to 13. The Mavericks pulled within 10 midway through the half, but Benedict's steady play helped CSI regain control. The Dolphins eventually stretched the lead back to 18 at 74–56 and maintained command the rest of the way to close out the 90–79 conference win.

Benedict recorded his first collegiate double-double with 10 points, shooting 40% from three (2–5) and 50% from the field (3–6), along with a team-high 14 rebounds. Goldstein and Chestnut led all scorers with 21 points each, with Goldstein adding four assists. Chestnut delivered an exceptional shooting performance, going 8–9 from the field and 3–4 from beyond the arc. Tynes added 12 points on 44% shooting.

The Dolphins return to action on Saturday, Dec. 6, when they travel to Sparkill, NY to face St. Thomas Aquinas College in another ECC matchup at 6:00 PM.

GAME REPLAY