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Women’s Basketball - Champ Central

CSI Dolphins 53, Brooklyn Bulldogs 42

City College of New York was the site of the 2017 CUNYAC Women’s Basketball finals, where the CSI Dolphins took on the Brooklyn Bulldogs in a battle for conference supremacy. The Dolphins lit up the scoreboard from beyond the arc and held off a furious second half comeback to beat the Bulldogs by the score of 53-42 and win their first title since 2005. It was a true team effort from CSI as they finished with four players in double figures. The three point ball also played a significant factor as CSI shot 10-28 from downtown as compared to just 2-18 from Brooklyn.

CSI was led by Christina Pasaturo who scored a game high 16 points and pulled down 5 rebounds on her way to being named Army ROTC Tournament MVP. The Dolphins also received significant contributions from Angelique Price (14 points, 9 rebounds) and Samantha Flekker who registered a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds). Brooklyn was led by Olivia Colbert who put up a valiant effort, registering a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds.

“Christina couldn’t care less about her points,” said CSI Head Coach Tim Shanahan when asked about his star player. “All she cared about was winning this championship. That’s all she was focussed on and that all the team was focussed on.”

This championship fight began with a back-and-forth first quarter that saw three ties and three lead changes. To say these teams were evenly matched would be an understatement. Both teams came out determined to show everyone why they deserved to be playing in this game. Maya Ajee-Thomas dominated the boards and had a solid quarter for the Bulldogs in the first, but after back-to-back threes by Angelique Price and Christina Pasaturo of CSI to end the quarter, it was the Dolphins who would take a 13-10 lead into the second.

CSI carried this momentum into the second quarter as they continued to let it fly from beyond the arc, shooting 3-7 from downtown in the quarter. Their sharp shooting combined with a stingy defense that allowed just 8 points to the Bulldogs in the second helped CSI extend their lead. Samantha Flecker had a stellar second quarter as she scored all 8 of her first half points to help her team pull away before halftime. With 20 minutes left to play, the Dolphins held a 26-18 lead.

Flecker and Angelique Price led the Dolphins in the first half with 8 points each as the duo shot a combined 4-9 from beyond the arc. Olivia Colbert led Brooklyn in first half scoring with 8 points while pulling down 5 boards. Ajee-Thomas was also key in the first half for the Bulldogs, contributing 4 points and 6 rebounds of her own.

The Dolphins came out of the locker room looking to keep their foot on the gas pedal. Flekker and Pasaturo continued to light it up from deep as CSI extended their lead all the way up to 18 mid-way through the third. Brooklyn would find its footing again though as their defense stepped up and gave them a chance to make a dent in the Dolphins’ lead. The Bulldogs would capitalize on the opportunity, going on a 9-0 run to end the quarter and cut the CSI lead to single digits. Brooklyn would still have work to do if they wanted to complete this improbable comeback though. Heading to the fourth, the score was 41-32 in favor of CSI.

Brooklyn’s run would continue into the fourth, cutting the CSI lead all the way down to 4 with 6:38 to play. Momentum had completely shifted and the Dolphins looked rattled. With their once-commanding lead all but gone, CSI went back to what had been the catalyst for their offense all night long; the three. Victoria Crea drained a shot from downtown with 5:29 left to play that pushed the CSI lead back to 7 and seemed to calm her team down.

For the rest of the game the Dolphins looked like the team that we had seen in the first half. CSI’s defense stepped up in a big way down the stretch, never allowing Brooklyn to get within four points of the lead. The Dolphins would close the game out with some clutch free throws and take home the CUNYAC Women’s Basketball title by the score of 53-42.

With the win the CSI Dolphins advance to the DIII NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament for the first time since 2005. When asked about the upcoming tournament, Coach Shanahan seemed excited for the opportunity. “I just want them to go have fun and be kids out there,” said Shanahan. “I’ve been coaching here for 10 years and I’m excited for this chance so they should be too.”

Angelique Price was named to the All-Tournament team for the Dolphins along with Maya Ajee-Thomas (Brooklyn), Olivia Colbert (Brooklyn), Krystal Pearson (Lehman), and Erika Richards (CCNY). A replay of the championship game can be seen on WatchESPN.com.

 

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