After splitting the first two meetings between the St. John Fisher College women's basketball team and Nazareth College, Fisher claimed its second head-to-head win in the series with a 68-55 decision over the Golden Flyers on Saturday afternoon.

 

Sophomore Colleen Maloney led the Cardinals with a game-high 17 points, including a 3-for-6 effort from behind the 3-point line, while junior center Mary Kate Comfort finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds, collecting her third double-double of the season and the 11^th of her career. Kristi Jeffres added 11 points and nine rebounds, with junior Kristen Taliento adding 10 points and 10 rebounds (her first career double-double) in a contest where all 14 dressed players participated in the win.

 

After a 30-30 tie at the half, Fisher took a 46-35 lead after scoring 16 of the first 21 points in the first 12 minutes of the second half. Nazareth pulled to within five, 39-34, but Fisher, who improved to 13-7 overall, 6-5 in the Empire 8 with the win, responded with a 9-1 run over the next six minutes to seal the win down the stretch.

 

The Cardinals opened the game on a 10-0 scoring run over the first four minutes of the contest. With the Cardinals enjoying an eleven-point cushion, 18-7, Nazareth guard Kelly Dunne sparked an 11-1 Golden Flyer run over the next 3:12 with four consecutive free throws and a 3-pointer to knot the score at 18 with 7:29 to play in the first half. 

 

The teams exchanged three point leads over the remainder of the stanza, with Taliento free throw sending the Cardinals to the locker room with a 30-30 tie.

Fisher will return to action at 6 p.m. on Tuesday when the Cardinals will match up with Rochester Institute of Technology.