FLUSHING, NY – The College of Staten Island women's basketball team traveled to Flushing, NY, for its final regular-season road game on Thursday evening, matching up against Queens College. In a tightly contested game throughout, the Dolphins held off the Knights in the closing seconds to secure a 58-55 victory, improving to 10-17 overall and 6-9 in the East Coast Conference.
With the win, the Dolphins strengthened their position in the race for their fourth consecutive postseason appearance and are now in line to finish as either the fifth or sixth seed.
Queens controlled the opening quarter, outscoring CSI 23-18. Arielle Barnes recorded the Dolphins' first four points, and the lead changed hands six times early in the period. Dana Phelan later gave CSI an 11-9 advantage with a three-pointer, but after the Knights tied the score at 11, they held the lead for the remainder of the quarter.
The Dolphins tightened up defensively in the second quarter, holding Queens to just nine points while scoring 15. Giuliana Dito sparked the offense, accounting for six straight points to give CSI the lead on two separate three-point plays, one via a perfect 3-for-3 trip to the free-throw line and the other on a three pointer, putting the Dolphins ahead 24-23. The lead continued to shift before Phelan grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a jumper in the closing seconds of the half to give CSI a 33-32 advantage at the break.
Both teams struggled offensively in the third quarter. The Dolphins scored seven points in the frame and entered the fourth trailing by two, 42-40.
Phelan opened the final quarter with another three-pointer to give CSI its final lead of the game. From there, the Dolphins maintained a narrow advantage despite continued pressure from the Knights. With one minute remaining, CSI led 53-46, providing enough cushion to withstand Queens' late comeback attempt.
With under 20 seconds remaining, the Dolphins went 1-for-2 from the free-throw line to extend the lead to five. After a timeout, Queens connected on a three pointer to cut the deficit to two, 54-52. Kyra Rose responded by sinking two free throws to push the lead back to four, but the Knights quickly answered with another three to make it 56-55 with 11 seconds remaining.
On the final possession, the Dolphins locked in defensively, forcing a missed opportunity before Shonyae Edmonds secured the defensive rebound and sealed the win at the free throw line.
Edmonds recorded her fourth consecutive double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Phelan added 15 points, including three three-pointers, while Dito finished with 10 points. Rose made a significant impact beyond scoring, collecting eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals.
The Dolphins return to the Tank for Senior Day on Saturday at 1:00 PM, hosting Molloy University in their regular-season finale.
GAME REPLAY
