Portia Velasco tallied a season-high 26 points to lead the St. John Fisher College women's basketball team to a 89-69 victory over Rivier University in the Cardinals' home-opener for the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa Invitational.

Fisher jumped out to an early 9-4 lead following a Bridget Carney layup. 

Rivier settled in taking a 19-12 lead at the 12:22 mark. The Cardinals climbed back into the game with a 9-0 run capped off by a traditional three-point play from Mary Kate Cusack to give Fisher a 21-19 lead.

Cusack also scored the final points of the half, converting two free throws, as Fisher led 40-37 at the break.

Five points from Rivier's Savanna Butterfield helped the Raiders reclaim the lead 48-44 with 16 minutes left in the game.

With the score tied at 52 in the second half Fisher used a 20-5 run to open up a 72-57 lead. Cusack started the run with a 3-pointer and Claire Walsh put in a layup to end it.

Velasco was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line while tallying a career-high six steals. Cusack finished with 23 points of her own with five steals while Walsh made three 3-pointers to pace Fisher's offense. Sydney Bloomstein led the Cardinals with seven boards to add to her team-best total of 20 on the year.

Fisher will take on the winner of the Union College versus Goucher College game for the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa Invitational title at 2 p.m. Sunday.