AMHERST, N.Y. – The College of Staten Island women's basketball team advanced to the semifinal round on Saturday afternoon, where they will face No. 1 seed Daemen University after upsetting No. 4 seed D'Youville University on Wednesday night.

In the most recent meeting between CSI and Daemen, the two squads battled into overtime. The Wildcats erased a double-digit first-half deficit and edged the Dolphins, 78-75, in a tightly contested finish.

Dolphins Searching for First Win Over Daemen

Since transitioning to Division II in 2021, the Dolphins have faced the Wildcats 12 times and are still seeking their first victory in the series. Among those matchups was the 2025 East Coast Conference Championship game, where Daemen secured a 76-68 win.

Earlier this season, CSI pushed the Wildcats to overtime on Feb. 8, proving they could compete with the conference's top seed. Despite falling just short, the Dolphins demonstrated they are capable of challenging Daemen deep into a game — and now have another opportunity on the postseason stage.

CSI Upsets D'Youville in Quarterfinal Round

The Dolphins earned their semifinal berth with a dramatic 60-55 victory over D'Youville in Buffalo on Wednesday.

After scoring in single digits in each of the first two quarters and trailing by as many as 20 early in the third, CSI mounted a determined second-half comeback. A three-pointer by Giuliana Dito cut the deficit to nine, 48-39, heading into the fourth quarter. The Dolphins locked in defensively in the final stanza, holding the Saints to just seven points while erupting for 21 of their own. CSI was perfect from beyond the arc in the second half, shooting 7-for-7 from three-point range behind key contributions from Dana Phelan and Dito to fuel the comeback and secure the upset.

Kyra Rose led the way with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds while adding six assists. Dito finished with 15 points, knocking down four three-pointers, while Shonyae Edmonds and Arielle Barnes added 11 points each.

Individual Scoring Comparison

The Dolphins boast two All-ECC selections for the 2025–26 season in Rose and Edmonds, who lead the team offensively. Rose averages 13.6 points per game, followed closely by Edmonds at 11.6 points per contest. The duo also anchors CSI on the boards, with Edmonds leading the team at 8.2 rebounds per game and Rose contributing 7.6 per game. Phelan rounds out the Dolphins' double-digit scorers at 10.1 points per game and leads the team with 51 three-pointers made this season.

Daemen counters with three players averaging double figures, led by a 16.9 points-per-game scorer, followed by contributors at 13.7 and 12.6 points per game.

With momentum from Wednesday's upset, the Dolphins now look to make program history with their first-ever victory over the Wildcats and a trip to the ECC Championship on the line.