Box Score

Staten Island, N.Y. – Junior Andrei Oztemel became the 22nd player in program history to hit the 1,000-point benchmark as the Ithaca men's basketball team (14-14) suffered a 98-73 setback at the College of Staten Island (25-4) in an NCAA regional semifinal on Friday night. The loss ends the 2011-12 season for Ithaca.

The Dolphins, who have won 18 straight and are undefeated in the 2012 calendar year, outscored the Bombers by 19 in the second frame to advance to the regional final against Rhode Island College on Saturday.

Ithaca cut a six-point halftime deficit to five 11 seconds into the second, but that is as close as the visiting team would get as CSI pieced together a 16-10 run to claim a double-digit lead indefinitely at 14:05.

Oztemel finished with team-highs of 21 points and eight boards, while senior Jordan Marcus concluded his collegiate career with a 17-point, six-rebound showing. Marcus ranks fourth all-time at Ithaca with 1,530 career points and is the all-time three-pointer leader with 301 treys. 

Sophomore Frank Mitchell posted 11 points and grabbed five boards and junior Sean Rossi had an eight-point, seven-assist performance. He also swiped a game-high three steals for the Bombers. Rossi ranks 10th in the NCAA Division III record books with 259 season assists and 12 with 743 career assists.

A minute ticked off the clock before shots started dropping to open the game. The Bombers got off to a 5-0 lead and held a 10-6 edge at 16:14. An Oztemel three and a Mitchell free throw helped rebuild a three-point Ithaca lead at 14:15, but seven unanswered Dolphin points gave the host squad a 23-16 gap at the 11-minute mark. The Bombers tied it up with seven of their own but it was a 12-5 CSI streak that closed out the half for a 44-38 Dolphin lead. The first frame was tied on four occasions and had nine lead changes.

Oztemel opened the second stint with one from the charity stripe before CSI powered to a double-digit advantage, 53-42, at 16:07. Max Masucci and Rossi both brought Ithaca within eight with three-pointers, but at 14:05 the Dolphins unleashed an 8-2 run and never looked back. With a 12-point margin at 4:40, CSI posted 10 unanswered to take a 92-70 lead. The Dolphins scored six of the final nine points of the game to punch their ticket to Saturday's final.

The Dolphins drained 55.7 percent of their shots to the Bombers' 38.7 percent. CSI also claimed a 36-34 edge on the glass.