­BOX SCORE

The St. John Fisher College men's basketball team defeated SUNY Fredonia 79-60 in its season opener at the Hilbert College Tip-Off on Friday night. Eight different players scored for the Cardinals, including great performances by Jason Norsen and Adam Ambielli.

Norsen started the game scoring 11 of the Cardinals' first 15 points, outscoring the Blue Devils on his own in the early going, as Fredonia did not reach the 20-point plateau until there was under five minutes left in the opening period. The senior tied for the game-high with 25 points on 12-for-13 shooting in the contest, while tying for a game-high with seven rebounds and two blocks.

The other person with a game-high tying 25 points was Ambielli, contributing 5-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc, including a four-point play in the first half.

On defense, the Cardinals wreaked havoc all game long, stealing 16 passes and forcing 19 turnovers against the Blue Devils. Fisher held Fredonia to under 40% shooting from the field.

Fisher headed to the locker room at half with a 17-point advantage, 47-30, using balanced scoring from its starters and bench. In the opening stanza, the Cardinals' starters equaled 27 points while the bench added 20. The attack continued in the second half as well, with the starters finishing with 44 points and the bench with 35.

Senior Justin Plata was the only other Fisher player in double figures, scoring 10 points and collecting four caroms.

Chaz Lott contributed seven points in his first collegiate game, while junior transfer Matthew Cooney kicked in six points. Lott led the Cardinals with six assists while Cooney tied for a game-high with seven rebounds and a game-high four steals.

Fisher will return to action at 1 p.m. on Saturday when its faces host Hilbert College in a non-conference matchup.