ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY – The College of Staten Island women's basketball team hit the road Saturday afternoon to begin the final stretch of East Coast Conference (ECC) play, traveling to Rockville Centre, NY to face Molloy University.
CSI opened the afternoon strong, building a 10-point advantage and taking a 40–30 lead into halftime. However, Molloy surged in the second half, scoring at least 20 points in both the third and fourth quarters to rally past the Dolphins and secure a 72–66 victory. With the loss, CSI dropped to 8–14 overall and 4–6 in ECC play.
The Dolphins wasted no time to start the game, opening regulation on a 13–0 run sparked by Kyra Rose, Arielle Barnes, and Dana Phelan. Molloy responded with a run of its own, pulling within four at 13–9 with just under three minutes remaining in the first quarter. Giuliana Dito got on the board at the freethrow line to make it 15–9 before the Lions answered with a three-pointer on the next possession. CSI continued to find scoring late in the quarter behind Dito and Dorothy Wiese, edging the hosts 18–17 after one.
Dito caught fire in the second quarter, particularly from beyond the arc, on her way to a career-high scoring performance. Molloy briefly claimed its first lead of the game at 20–18, but the teams traded baskets over the next several minutes. A Racky Kane layup tied the game at 20 before Molloy hit another three. Dito responded with her first triple of the contest to knot the score at 23. Barnes and Rose helped CSI regain momentum, and Dito knocked down another three to push the Dolphins ahead 31–25. In the final two minutes of the half, Dito scored five straight points as CSI closed strong to take a 40–30 lead into the break.
The momentum shifted in the second half as Molloy controlled the third quarter, outscoring CSI 20–10. Shonyae Edmonds opened the half with baskets on both ends to extend the Dolphins' lead to 42–30, but a Molloy three-pointer ignited a run that held CSI scoreless for over five minutes. Barnes eventually broke the drought with back-to-back baskets, keeping CSI in front 46–41 late in the quarter. By the end of the third, the score was tied at 50. Molloy continued its push in the fourth quarter, holding off the Dolphins down the stretch to complete the comeback, 72–66.
Rose led all scorers with 19 points while adding eight rebounds and two steals. Dito finished with a career-high 17 points, including three three-pointers, and Barnes contributed 13 points while leading the team with four assists. Edmonds dominated the glass with a season-high 14 rebounds and filled the stat sheet with eight points, three blocks, two assists, and one steal.
The Dolphins return to action on Friday, Feb. 6, when they host D'Youville University at The Tank. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 PM.
GAME REPLAY
