WORCESTER, MA – The College of Staten Island women's basketball team opens its 2026-27 campaign on the road against Assumption University in Massachusetts. The Dolphins will meet the Greyhounds for just the second time in program history and look to extend their streak of opening the season with a victory to five consecutive years. CSI's last season-opening loss came during the 2022-23 campaign, the same year the Dolphins made their first-ever appearance in the East Coast Conference (ECC) postseason, when they fell to Holy Family.
2026-27 Dolphins Review:
The Dolphins enter the season with a 12-player roster consisting of four seniors, seven sophomores, and one freshman. Three members of the senior class, Racky Kane, Shonyae Edmonds, and Dorothy Wiese, return for their final season in a Dolphins uniform while Abbey Lindsey, a transfer from Division I Bryant University, returns to her hometown of Staten Island to finish her collegiate career. Key returners from the sophomore class include Giuliana Dito and Arielle Barnes.
Last season, Edmonds was one of two Dolphins to earn All-ECC recognition, receiving Third Team honors after a strong finish to the year. The senior recorded nine double-doubles, including five consecutive performances from February 8 through February 28. She also earned an Honorable Mention selection from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA). Kane finished just one block behind Edmonds, recording 27 to Edmonds' 28 on the season. Dito ranked second on the team in three-point field goals made with 32, highlighted by a career-high four three-pointers in CSI's comeback victory over D'Youville University in the first round of the ECC Tournament. Barnes also made an immediate impact in her first season with the Dolphins, ranking second on the team with 72 assists while averaging 5.3 rebounds per game.
The Dolphins finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 12-18 overall record and a 7-9 mark in conference play. Their postseason run came to an end at Daemen University in the semifinal round of the ECC Tournament.
2026-27 Greyhounds Statistics Overview:
Assumption enters the 2026-27 season following a successful 2025-26 campaign in which the Greyhounds posted a 20-8 overall record and earned a bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Greyhounds entered the Northeast 10 (NE10) postseason as the No. 3 seed and hosted No. 6 Southern New Hampshire University. However, their conference tournament run came to an end with a 60-54 loss to the Penmen. In the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, Assumption was held to a season-low 38 points in a 58-38 defeat against Holy Family, bringing its postseason run to a close.
The Greyhounds return their second-leading scorer from last season, who averaged 10.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while leading the team with 21 blocks. Assumption retains 11 players from last year's roster while adding four newcomers to the program. Despite losing its leading scorer, the Greyhounds will look to build on last season's success with a returning core of experienced players.
All-Time Series Review:
Saturday's matchup marks just the second meeting between the Dolphins and Greyhounds, with their inaugural contest taking place during the 2025-26 season at CSI. In that first meeting, the Greyhounds carried an 18-15 lead out of the opening quarter and maintained their advantage into halftime. The Dolphins responded with a strong third-quarter effort, outscoring Assumption 21-13 to take the lead behind an Edmonds three-point play. Kane added a last-second basket to close out the quarter, giving CSI a 48-45 advantage heading into the final stanza. ,Despite the Dolphins' offensive surge in the third, Assumption tightened up defensively in the fourth quarter, limiting CSI to just seven points to secure the 60-55 victory.
Kane led the Dolphins with 18 points, eight rebounds, and three assists, while Barnes added 12 points and Edmonds finished with 10.
