STATEN ISLAND, NY – The College of Staten Island men's basketball team wrapped up the 24th annual Tournament of Heroes Sunday afternoon with its second matchup of the weekend against Saint Anselm College in the Tank. Six Dolphins reached double figures in scoring, helping the hosts secure their first victory of the season, 109-101.
The two teams battled through an evenly matched first half, with the Hawks carrying a slim 48-47 advantage into the break. Saint Anselm struck first with a 4-0 run before Davin Francis put the Dolphins on the board with a three-pointer. CSI responded with baskets from Rob Matos and Dylan Kopp, and after the Hawks took an early 10-8 lead, the Dolphins continued to trade baskets with the visitors.
Mitchell Wiggan added five points in less than 30 seconds to keep CSI within one before Andrew Benedict connected on his first three-pointer of the afternoon to give the Dolphins an 18-16 advantage. The back-and-forth battle continued throughout the contest, which featured 16 ties and 11 lead changes.
Six of the game's 11 lead changes came in the first half as the Dolphins looked to carry the momentum into the break. CSI built a five-point advantage following a Francis jumper that made it 36-31, but the Hawks chipped away at the deficit and eventually reclaimed the lead at 43-41. Wiggan knocked down a bucket in the closing seconds of the half to bring the Dolphins within one, 48-47, heading into halftime.
Wiggan's late first-half basket helped set the tone for the Dolphins coming out of the break, as CSI erupted for 62 points in the second half. Wiggan opened the scoring with a jumper, and the two teams continued to exchange leads before the Dolphins broke away from a 59-59 tie with a 9-2 run. Wiggan, Benedict, Dylan Kopp, and Daouda Cisse all contributed during the stretch. Francis extended the Dolphins' advantage to nine with a three-pointer, making it 73-64, before Kopp followed with a jumper to maintain the cushion.
The Hawks continued to battle and eventually erased the deficit, tying the game at 80 with seven minutes remaining. Saint Anselm briefly took the lead with a basket in the paint, forcing the Dolphins to play from behind as the final minutes approached. The Hawks looked to swing the momentum in their favor with a dunk, but Shedrach Makanjuola answered with a powerful slam of his own to tie the game at 84. From there, the Dolphins regained control, allowing just one more tie before pulling away to secure the 109-101 victory and their first win of the season.
Wiggan led all scorers with 33 points and four assists, while Makanjuola added 20 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Benedict finished with 15 points while shooting a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc, and Francis and Kopp contributed 14 points apiece. Chris Albano led the Dolphins with six assists while also recording a career-high 13 points. As a team, CSI shot 52% (14-27) from three-point range and 48% (32-70) from the field.
The College of Staten Island men's basketball team (1-1) will return to action Wednesday for its first road game of the season when the Dolphins travel to face non-conference opponent West Chester University in West Chester, PA. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 PM.
GAME REPLAY
