BUFFALO, NY – The College of Staten Island men's basketball team will travel to Buffalo, NY, to play its first East Coast Conference (ECC) matchup of the new year against D'Youville University Friday evening. The Dolphins enter the contest riding a six-game winning streak, while the Saints are on a four-game skid after losses to St. Thomas Aquinas, Mercy, Saint Michael's, and Frostburg State.

A Split Decision 2024-25
The 2024–25 regular season series resulted in a split, with the Dolphins taking the first meeting at the Tank, 96–77, before the Saints responded a few months later on their home floor with an 80–67 victory. In the Dec. 8, 2024 win, the Dolphins built a commanding 54–39 halftime lead and continued to outscore the Saints 42–38 in the second half. JJ Chestnut and Aaron Goldstein each made key contributions, with Chestnut posting 11 points and five rebounds, while Goldstein led the team with eight assists. In the February loss later that season, D'Youville held the upper hand for the majority of the contest, similar to CSI's control in December.

Chestnut Reached A Career Milestone
In the non-conference win over the Eagles on Jan. 6, Chestnut finished with seven points to reach the career milestone of 1,000 points as a Dolphin. He became the 37th member of the men's basketball 1,000-point club and the third player in the program's Division II era to reach the achievement.

Rookie Duo On The Rise
Coming off the bench for the Dolphins is a rookie duo in Andrew Benedict and Brandon Torres. Both have played pivotal roles throughout the current campaign, and against the Eagles, they each finished in double figures. Benedict recorded a career-high 17 points while shooting 50% (5-of-10) from beyond the arc, while Torres added 10 points, also shooting 50% (4-8) from three-point range. Both are shooting roughly 47% from the field, and Benedict leads the team with a 47% (16-of-35) mark from long range.

Goldstein's Sharp Shooting Leads the Charge
Goldstein is on pace to join Chestnut in the 1,000-point club, totaling 316 points through 15 games this season. Averaging 21.1 points per game, Goldstein is shooting an impressive 47% (95-of-201) from the field, 38% (43-of-113) from three-point range, and 90% (83-of-92) from the free-throw line. Along with his scoring success, he is averaging a career-best 4.6 assists per game while adding 3.6 rebounds per contest.

Individual Scoring Comparisons
The Dolphins continue to feature five players averaging double-digit scoring, led by Goldstein, followed by Eric Tynes (12.1 ppg), Asa Kone (11.6), Chestnut (11.3), and Mitchell Wiggan (11.0). Kone leads the team on the glass with 8.1 rebounds per game, while Chestnut paces the Dolphins in assists at 5.2 per game, ranking inside the top 30 nationally. The Saints feature four players averaging double figures, led by a team-high 17.9 points per game, followed by averages of 12.7, 11.3, and 10.0.