The St. John Fisher College men's basketball team pulled  to within two points of visiting Hobart on two separate occasions in the final minute of play Tuesday night, but got no closer as the Statesmen topped the Cardinals 84-80.

Fisher, who trailed by 14 points with just four minutes to play went on a 14-2 run over a three-minute span to cut the lead to two points with 44 seconds remaining.  The Statesmen rallied back however, behind a clutch layup by John Grazioli, who led all scorers with 27 points, and a pair of free throws from the charity stripe to seal the victory.

Chris Baltz (Vestal/Vestal) led the Cardinals with 24 points, including 14 in the first half, and added six rebounds and two assists, while senior Justin Beigel (Colerain/Cincinnati, OH) recorded 16 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks.  Forward Mark Bearden (Aquinas/Rochester) totaled 13 points, including three-of-three from 3-point range, with Matt Newman (Campbell-Savona/Campbell) adding 11 points and a team-high four assists for the Cardinals.

Fisher (0-1) will return to action at 8 p.m. next Tuesday to take on SUNY Geneseo.