Box Score

The St. John Fisher College men's basketball team fell to East Avenue rival Nazareth College 78-71 in its last game at the Wendy's College Classic.  After opening the season 3-0, Fisher has now dropped two straight and falls to 3-2 on the season and finishes in fourth place at the tournament. Nazareth improves to 5-2 overall with the win.
 
Fisher trailed 17-3 over the opening 10:31, as the Cardinal started the game shooting 1-for-11 from the floor and committing seven turnovers during that span. But the Cardinals rallied to cut the game to five points with 1:44 to play in the first half after Justin Plata hit a three-pointer.
 
The Golden Flyers closed the half with four unanswered points to enter the locker room with a 33-24 lead over the Cardinals.
 
Chaz Lott gave the Cardinal a 34-33 lead on a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 17:31 remaining.  The lead, however, didn't last for long, as Nazareth scored on the ensuing possession, sparking a 9-0 run.  The one-point margin would be the only lead Fisher would have in the game as Nazareth went on a 20-7 run to gain an 12-point advantage with just over 10 minutes to play.
 
Thad Wier cut the lead to four points when he converted two free throws with five minutes left, capping an eight-point run to make the score 60-56.  But, despite starters Brad and Mitch Ford fouling out with over 10 minutes remaining, the Golden Flyers were able to pull away for the victory.
 
Jason Norsen led his team with 21 points and five blocks, while grabbing a team-high seven rebounds.  Three other Cardinals scored in double digits, with Plata contributing 14, Wier scoring 13 and Lott adding 11 points.  Lott led Fisher with a season-high eight assists.
 
Fisher will return to action at 8 p.m. on Tuesday and will host Alfred University in the Empire 8 Conference season opener for both teams.   It will be Fisher's fourth game in a six-day span.