New York, NY – The second-seeded College of Staten Island Dolphins staged a strong second half comeback to knock off the seventh-seeded Lehman College Lightning 62-55 in the fourth quarterfinal of the 2007 CUNY Athletic Conference / Con Edison Men’s Basketball Championship. An upset seemed to be brewing as the Lightning grabbed a 31-25 lead to conclude a hot-shooting first half, but a 13-0 run early in the second period was able to swing the momentum in Staten Island’s favor.

Lehman started the contest strong behind solid play from senior guard Kyle Lockett (Yonkers, NY / Alexander Hamilton), a CUNYAC Second Team All-Star who scored 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting including 2-for-3 from three-point range, in the first half. Sophomore guard Duane Rhoden (Bronx, NY / DeWitt Clinton) was also a factor as he opened with nine points for the Lightning. Sophomore center Sean Weismuller (Brooklyn, NY / James Madison), a CUNYAC First Team All-Star, kept the Dolphins close with 13 points and six rebounds in the stanza.

Staten Island started the second half with a 20-6 run, including 13 unanswered points over a five-minute span, to regain control of the action. After a jumper by Lockett gave Lehman a 37-32 lead at the 15:04 mark, the Dolphins began their surge – bookended by a pair of Mesjasz three-pointers – to grab a 45-37 advantage with 10:29 remaining. The Lightning then broke their scoring drought with a Rhoden floater in the lane and a Lockett three-pointer to pull to within 45-42 with 9:24 left on the clock.

Lehman went on to cut the deficit to just two points, 51-49, on a lay-up by senior forward Lavar Larrier (New Rochelle, NY / New Rochelle) at the 2:59 mark. The Dolphins answered with a 6-0 run, highlighted by a technical foul against Lightning head coach Steve Schulman, and took a 57-49 advantage with 1:06 to go. Rhoden made things interesting, however, with a long three-pointer followed by an acrobatic circus style lay-up and free throw to again slice the margin to two points, 57-55, with 36 seconds left. Weismuller, Mesjasz, and Montervino then combined for seven free throws to secure the victory for Staten Island.

Weismuller led the Dolphins with 27 points and 13 rebounds. Mesjasz added 13 points and five rebounds while Montervino poured in 10 points. Junior forward Gari Blackett (Brooklyn, NY / Brooklyn Academy) contributed nine points and 16 rebounds.

Rhoden finished with 23 points, nine rebounds, and five assists for Lehman. Lockett ended up with 19 points and senior forward Lenny Gonzalez (Bronx, NY / Tuckahoe) hauled in 12 rebounds in the final game of their collegiate careers.

Staten Island (14-12) advances to face third-seeded Baruch in the semifinals on Wednesday, February 21, at 7:30 PM on the campus of City College of New York. Lehman finishes the season with a 10-16 record.