STATEN ISLAND, NY – The College of Staten Island women's basketball team opens its home schedule with a pair of contests at the 2026-27 Conference Challenge, beginning Friday evening against nationally ranked No. 10 Holy Family University. The Dolphins are hosting the Tigers, Post University, and Assumption University for the two-day event. CSI will then face Post on Saturday afternoon to close out the weekend.
2024-25 MEETING RECAP:
The Dolphins last faced the Tigers during the 2024-25 season when they hosted Holy Family for the Conference Challenge. The two teams battled throughout the first half, with CSI holding a narrow 15-14 advantage after the opening quarter before heading into halftime trailing by one, 32-31. The Dolphins responded in the third quarter, outscoring the Tigers 17-11. During the frame, CSI held its largest lead of the afternoon at six, 40-34, with five minutes remaining in the quarter.
Entering the fourth, the Dolphins maintained a five-point advantage, 48-43, but the Tigers shifted the momentum with a 22-point final quarter to hand CSI a 65-58 defeat. The Dolphins finished the contest shooting 39% (23-of-59) from the floor, while Holy Family shot 41% (24-of-58). Both teams committed 20 turnovers, with CSI converting those opportunities into 19 points and the Tigers adding 21.
Lindsey and Patten Lead Opening Day:
The Dolphins opened their season earlier this week with a road contest at Assumption University on Monday, falling to the Greyhounds, 60-54. Newcomers Abbey Lindsey and Tianna Patten led the way offensively, recording 16 points apiece.
Patten put together an impressive collegiate debut, scoring the first points of the season for the Dolphins with a four-point play after drawing a foul on a three-point attempt. She finished the night shooting 67% (6-of-9) from the field while adding six rebounds and three steals. Lindsey also contributed across the stat sheet, recording four rebounds, two steals, and one block to support the Dolphins' efforts.
All-Time Series Meeting Review:
Friday's matchup marks the fifth all-time meeting between the two programs, with Holy Family holding a 4-0 advantage in the series. All four previous meetings took place on Staten Island as part of the Conference Challenge, beginning during the 2021-22 season, CSI's first year competing at the Division II level. In that inaugural meeting, the Dolphins fell by nine, 59-50, and have continued to battle the Tigers in each of their three subsequent matchups in search of their first victory in the series.
Last season, the Dolphins concluded their campaign in the semifinal round of the East Coast Conference (ECC) Championship against Daemen (NY). Holy Family, meanwhile, advanced to the championship game of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Tournament, where they fell to Felician by two points. Despite the loss, the Tigers earned a bid to the NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament and continued their postseason run all the way to the Elite Eight before falling to Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Pa.) to conclude their 2025-26 campaign. The Tigers enter this season ranked No. 10 nationally.
