STATEN ISLAND, NY – The College of Staten Island men's basketball team hosted the Roberts Wesleyan University Redhawks at the Tank early Sunday afternoon.
The Dolphins closed the first half with a 12-point lead, 44-32, but that advantage began to shrink in the second half as the Redhawks reclaimed their first lead since the opening minutes with 13 minutes remaining. CSI quickly responded on the ensuing possession and used a late surge to pull away for an 85-74 victory.
Roberts Wesleyan opened the scoring with a three-pointer to take a 3-0 lead. Eric Tynes put the Dolphins on the board, and Aaron Goldstein soon connected on his first three-pointer of the contest to give CSI a 5-3 advantage. JJ Chestnut and Asa Kone followed with key baskets to extend the lead, and another Goldstein three pushed the Dolphins to their first double-digit edge of the day, 18-7.
With momentum firmly in their favor throughout the opening half, the Dolphins entered intermission leading 44-32. However, the Redhawks came out strong after the break.
Roberts Wesleyan knocked down four three-pointers in the second half, beginning with a trey that sparked their comeback and shifted momentum. Although Tynes briefly extended the CSI lead to 46-35, a Redhawks run cut the deficit to six with 17 minutes remaining, then two minutes later, the Dolphins' double-digit lead disappeared as the score was tied at 49.
Chestnut converted two freethrows to regain the lead, but an and-one play by Roberts gave the visitors a 52-51 advantage with plenty of time remaining.
Kone, Chestnut, and Mitchell Wiggan then combined for an 8-0 run to swing momentum back to the Dolphins. CSI rebuilt its double-digit cushion and controlled the remainder of the game to secure the 85-74 East Coast Conference victory.
Goldstein led all scorers with 27 points, including five three-pointers. Chestnut and Tynes each added 15 points, with Chestnut going a perfect 7-7 from the freethrow line while also dishing out eight assists. Wiggan finished with 10 points, and Kone led the Dolphins on the glass with 14 rebounds.
The Dolphins (18-8, 9-5 ECC) return to the road on Wednesday, Feb. 25, for a matchup against Queens College in Flushing, NY, scheduled for 5:00 PM.
GAME REPLAY
