STATEN ISLAND, NY – The College of Staten Island women's basketball team hosted St. Thomas Aquinas College on Wednesday evening at The Tank for an East Coast Conference (ECC) matchup. In the previous meeting between the two squads, the Dolphins suffered a narrow 62–58 loss to the Spartans before bouncing back at home with a nine-point victory, 59–50, to move to 3–3 in conference play.
The opening quarter ended in a 12–12 tie. Kyra Rose and Racky Kane accounted for the Dolphins' first eight points to open the contest, but STAC responded to take a brief 10–8 lead with under three minutes remaining in the frame. Giuliana Dito and Kane combined for four points late in the quarter to even the score heading into the second.
St. Thomas Aquinas opened the second quarter with a 7–0 run to go ahead 19–12. Arielle Barnes sparked the Dolphins with her first points of the night, igniting a response that included a free throw from Shonyae Edmonds and a three-pointer by Dito to cut the deficit to one, 19–18. Rose reclaimed the lead for CSI at 20–19, and the advantage went back and forth over the next several possessions. A Rose layup gave the Dolphins a 22–21 edge, but the score was tied once again with 30 seconds remaining before halftime. The Spartans closed the half with a three-pointer to take a 28–25 lead into the break.
The third quarter proved to be the turning point, as the Dolphins delivered their strongest offensive performance of the night. CSI outscored STAC 21–10 in the frame, reclaiming the lead and building an eight-point advantage, 46–38, heading into the final quarter.
Dito pushed the Dolphins' lead to its largest of the game at 11 with a three-pointer, making it 51–40. That margin would be matched again late in the contest when Dana Phelan connected from the free-throw line to give CSI a 59–48 cushion. The Spartans attempted to rally down the stretch, but time favored the Dolphins, who secured the 59–50 victory.
Five Dolphins scored in double figures on the night, led by Barnes, who topped all scorers with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting (55%) while adding six rebounds and four assists. Rose also finished with 13 points, while Dito chipped in 11 on 60% shooting (3-5). Edmonds and Kane each contributed 10 points.
The College of Staten Island women's basketball team returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 17, when it travels to Dobbs Ferry, NY to face Mercy University at 12:00 PM.
GAME REPLAY
