Box Score

The St. John Fisher College men's basketball team used a 10-0 run late in the game to pull past host Ithaca College on Saturday in an Empire 8 Conference matchup.

With the win, Fisher improves to 14-9 overall and 7-5 in the Empire 8.   The victory secures a winning season for the Cardinals.  Fisher has had just one losing season since the 1987-88 campaign.

The Cardinals led for nearly the entire game.   Fisher took its largest lead of the first half at 31-19 with the Cardinals shooting 67% from the floor for the first 11 minutes.  Ithaca, however, closed out the period with a 17-6 run and trailed by just one point at 37-36 at the break.

A 15-foot jumper from freshman Zach Ottaway put the Cardinals up 10 points at 52-42 with 14 minutes left, but the Bombers came storming back.  Sparked by four 3-pointers, Ithaca took its first lead of the game at 57-56 with 11 minutes remaining.   Ithaca led 62-61 with nine minutes left, but Fisher took the lead for good, thanks to a 10-0 run over the next four minutes and never looked back. 

Sophomore Chaz Lott scored the first four points during the pivotal run and led Fisher on the day, scoring a career-high 29 points.  He also tallied five assists, five boards and three steals.

Freshman Keegan Ryan scored 16 points and snagged a team-high six rebounds.  Tyler Hart scored nine points, while Charles McVay and Stefan Bock both scored seven.

Fisher will return to action at 6 p.m. next Friday and will host Nazareth College in the final home game of the 2013-2014 regular season.   Proceeds from Friday's "Battle of the Beaks" will go to the Golisano Children's Hospital.   The first 300 fans at the game will also receive a Fisher free glass, courtesy of Monroe Roadways.