STATEN ISLAND, NY – The College of Staten Island women's basketball team hosted the first of five regular-season home games on Friday night, welcoming D'Youville University to The Tank. Dana Phelan turned in another strong performance from beyond the arc, knocking down at least five three-pointers for the third time this season.
The Dolphins trailed from the opening tip, as the Saints built a 36–28 halftime lead and went on to secure a 68–54 victory.
D'Youville opened the night with consecutive three-pointers to jump out to a quick 6–0 advantage. Shonyae Edmonds scored CSI's first points, but the Saints continued to answer, pushing the lead to seven. The Dolphins responded with contributions from Edmonds, Kyra Rose, and Phelan, who buried her first three of the night, to even the score at 11–11. Despite the surge, CSI trailed 22–15 at the end of the first quarter.
The Dolphins stayed within striking distance through the second and third quarters, getting outscored by just one in the second (14–13) and two in the third (12–10). In the second quarter, the Saints extended their lead to 12 on another three-pointer. Arielle Barnes sparked a response with a layup, followed by a Phelan three to cut the deficit to seven, 27–20. Phelan later drilled back-to-back triples to keep CSI close, trimming the margin to seven again at 33–26 with four minutes left in the half. Kane added a layup to make it a five-point game before the Saints closed the half ahead 36–28.
Phelan opened the second half with a step-back three on the right wing, drawing a foul for a four-point play that immediately cut the deficit to four, 36–32. D'Youville responded by rebuilding a double-digit lead midway through the third quarter and carried a 48–38 advantage into the final period.
Giuliana Dito opened the fourth quarter by bringing the Dolphins within single digits, but the Saints pulled away with a 20-point frame to seal the 68–54 win.
Phelan led all scorers with 19 points, shooting 50 percent (5-for-10) from three-point range. Edmonds finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, and two steals, while Barnes and Kane each added nine points. Rose paced the Dolphins with five assists and added seven rebounds.
The College of Staten Island women's basketball team (8–15, 4–7 ECC) returns to The Tank on Sunday, Feb. 8, to take on No. 13 Daemen University at 1:00 PM.
