With the college basketball season starting, it's time to complete a relatively easy quest, that being the lower division basketball gyms in NYC. There are 16 of them and I've already visited 13, so it doesn't take a math major to figure out there's three to go. Or maybe it does these days. Anyway, the first stop this season would be up in the Bronx at the University of Mount St. Vincent. Although still in NYC, the campus is so far north that it is right on the Yonkers border and the bus that goes there makes its final stop at 263rd Street, from where it is a 30-second walk north to Yonkers.
Of course, you'll want to head west instead, through the campus of Mount St. Vincent, where you will eventually reach the Peter Jay Sharp Center, home of Dolphin basketball. Why does a New York school use Dolphins as their nickname? According to the schools athletics website, "Known not only for intelligence, but for swiftness and agility as well, the Dolphin nickname began to appear at the UMSV during the 1940's in an academic sense - as the name of an Honor Society created by the Student Council. Those elected to The Dolphins received such an honor because of demonstrated character, loyalty, cooperation, and participation in school activities." Alrighty, then.
The gym is behind a larger building and shines at night. Entry is free as it is for most Division 3 venues.
Eagle-eyed observers will notice the difference in the two logos above and below. The school used to be a college (hence CMSV) but became a university in January 2024 and updated their logo online, but not yet everywhere on campus. I prefer the old one.
Inside the gym, you get individual plastic bench seats on one side. Sit in the top row if you need back support.
There are a few banners on the far wall; the team has not done much in the Skyline Conference for nearly 30 years. The men's and women's 1,000-point club are also on display at the far end of the court.
They don't get much simpler than this. I can't imagine anyone from out of town making the trip here, unless they are friends or family. Of the 136 on hand for this one, most were students and alumni, with the rest being parents of the visiting Manhattanville women's team who would play following the men. Side note: Manhattanville College, like Manhattan University, is not in Manhattan.
The Game
Fellow Bronx school Lehman was visiting, making this the second time to see them on the road. UMSV scored the first four points and that was the highlight of the night for them. The Lightning scored the next 8, and although it was close at 17-15 midway through the first half, it was obvious that the visitors were more athletic and talented.
Fellow Bronx school Lehman was visiting, making this the second time to see them on the road. UMSV scored the first four points and that was the highlight of the night for them. The Lightning scored the next 8, and although it was close at 17-15 midway through the first half, it was obvious that the visitors were more athletic and talented.
With the score 22-19, the Dolphins committed a backcourt turnover that led to a fastbreak layup, then missed a shot that led to another, then committed yet another terrible giveaway in their half that resulted in a third straight fast break, and then missed a trey, which Lehman quickly took the other way to complete the 8-0 spurt. That 11-point advantage remained at the half, with the score 38-29.
Again Mount St. Vincent scored the first four points of the half and there was an outside chance of a close game, but they could not protect the ball, turning it over ten times as Lehman outscored them 22-8 over the next nine minutes and coasted the rest of the way to a 78-58 win.
Despite no media breaks (each team has six timeouts instead of four), the game lasted nearly two hours, helped by 37 foul calls. It was bad basketball, with the Dolphins perpetrating 30 turnovers, leading to 27 Lehman points. The difference would have been even larger had the Lightning been able to shoot free throws; their 12/28 mark was laughable.
Notes
Lehman was in the news last March when a player withdrew from classes but still played in a CUNYAC tournament semifinal, for which he was ineligible. Although they won that game over John Jay, the game was nullified due to the ineligible player and John Jay went on to the final, where they beat Baruch to gain a spot in the tournament. If this happened in Division I, it would be national news, but down in D-III, it didn't even make the local sports broadcast.
The two NYC schools left for me to visit are Brooklyn College and the College of Staten Island, who are also named the Dolphins in a strange coincidence.
Next Up
Very little for the rest of the year, other than a trip to Charleston just before Christmas. I've got a few opinion pieces in mind though, so check back in a couple of weeks to see what annoys me these days.
Best,
Sean
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