With the win, Fisher improves to 15-6 overall and 7-5 in the Empire 8, while the Tigers suffer their first loss in the Empire 8, falling to 16-5, 11-1. Fisher's four-game losing streak was the longest in head coach
Rob Kornaker's eight-year career at the College.
The Cardinals led 33-32 at intermission. Fisher jumped out to an 11-2 run to start the game, shooting 3-for-3 from 3-point range over the opening 2:40. The Cardinals led by as many as 10 at 17-7 with 13:39 left in the half, but the Tigers outscored Fisher 18-4 over the next nine minutes and led 25-21.
The second half started inauspiciously for the Cardinals, as
Matt Newman, who picked up his third foul with one second left in the first half, collected his fourth foul of the game just 23 seconds into the final stanza, but it didn't stay that way.
R.I.T. tied the game at 33 on its first possession of the second half and trailed 38-35 on Mark Carson's tip-in with 18:01, but failed to score a single point over nearly the next 10 minutes. Fisher used an 18-0 run to take a 21-point lead at 56-35 with 8:53 left on
Connor Henderson's 3-pointer and never looked back.
The Tigers struggled shooting the ball all game, connecting on just 15-of-57 shots (26.3%).
Ozell Franklin led Fisher with 20 points, including 14 in the second half. Henderson scored 16 points (one shy of his career-high), while
Jordan Gettings picked up 10 points and four assists in the second half and finished with 14 and 5.
Michael Wopperer finished with nine rebounds, six points and three blocked.
For R.I.T., Carson, who entered the game leading the nation in rebounding, finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds.
Fisher will return to action at 4 p.m. on Saturday at Ithaca College. The Bombers are 21-1 overall and ranked eighth nationally.
