Utica College shot a blistering 75% from the floor (15-for-20) in the second half to pace the Pioneers to a 77-66 win over visiting St. John Fisher College in an Empire 8 Conference women's basketball matchup on Friday night.

With the loss, Fisher falls to 2-1 in the Empire 8 Conference and 5-6 overall.

 
Fisher led 29-28 with 5:58 left in the first half, but Utica closed out the period with an 11-2 run to take a 39-31 lead into the locker room.

 
In the second half, Utica (5-6, 1-1) made its first nine shots, pushing its lead to 19 midway through the second half. The Pioneers, who won the Empire 8 title last year, missed just two shots from the floor over the first 15 minutes of the second half and shot 58% from the field for the game.

Stephanie Sweeney led the Cardinals with 13 points, while Kristi Jeffres added 12 points. Colleen Maloney, one of the nation's leading scorers and 3-point shooters, finished with a season-low nine points and shot just 1-for-8 from 3-point range.

Jessica Krzemien led Fisher with five steals.

 
Fisher will return to action at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Ithaca College.