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Check out some game notes to learn more about Fisher and this year's field of four.
 

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Fisher earned the fourth and final seed into this year's championship field after posting a 9-7 mark in the Empire 8.  The berth came down to the final weekend of the regular season as Fisher earned the spot despite dropping its final two conference games courtesy of Nazareth's loss to Stevens. 

DON'T DISCOUNT EXPERIENCE: Fisher may be the fourth seed, but that doesn't mean much.   Head coach Marianne O'Connor Ermi's teams have qualified for the conference championship in 10 straight seasons and won it all in 2015 as the three seed.  In all, Fisher has played in the conference championship 12 times since 2004 and has won it all four times.

FOLLOW THE LEADER: On the offensive end of the floor, Fisher is led by junior Caroline Robertson who ranked ninth overall in the Empire 8 in scoring at 13.2 points per game this season.  Robertson also ranked sixth in the conference in free throw percentage at .755 while her 6.6 rebounds ranked 12th among all conference players.  Defensively, Nicole Robinson will clog up the paint as she led the team in rebounding this season at 6.7 per game while her 1.4 blocked shots per contest led the Empire 8.  Emily Piacentini proved to be a playmaker on both ends of the court as the senior guard led the team in assists (3.2) and steals (2.2). 

FISHER IN THE E8: The Cardinals rank fifth overall in the conference in both points per game (62.7) and points allowed per contest (63.0).  The top three teams in each category make up the other three teams vying for the conference crown.  Fisher does have an edge, however, in rebounding as it leads the conference in defensive rebounding this season at 38.1 per game.  Furthermore, the Cardinals have shown the ability to crash the offensive glass as well as Fisher ranks second overall with nearly 14 offensive boards each game. 
       
SCOUTING STEVENS: The Ducks, who enter the postseason on a four-game winning streak, earned the top overall seed despite finishing the 2016-17 campaign tied with Ithaca atop the standings at 14-2.  However, based on their strength of schedule, the Ducks won the tiebreaker and the right to host.  Entering play, Stevens boasts the top scoring defense in the conference at 56.1 points per game while offensively, the Ducks average just under 66 points per game this season.  A big reason for the team's success has been the fact that it forces opponents into tough shots.  Entering the weekend, Stevens has held its opponents to just a .332 field goal percentage, which leads the conference.

The Ducks are paced by Kaitlyn Astel's 16.8 points per game this season while Megan Brown averages a double-double at 10.6 points and 10.0 rebounds.  Anna Toke is scoring 8.6 points per game this season and Zoe Hahn chips in seven points on average.    

SCOUTING ITHACA: The Bombers secured the second seed after going 14-2 in conference play.  Ithaca, which is receiving votes in the latest D3hoops.com national poll, won a conference-leading 22 games overall this season against just three losses.  Ithaca is one of the hottest teams in the country right now having won its last 11 games.  The South Hill squad's last lost came on January 17 in a 31-point blowout at Stevens.  The Bombers split their two regular season matchups against Hartwick this season.  Offensively, Ithaca leads the conference in scoring at 71.8 points per game.  Defensively, the team ranks second in scoring defense at 56.2 points.  Head coach Dan Raymond's team also leads the conference in field goal percentage (.415), blocked shots (5.2), steals (14.6) and assists (16.7).

Leading the way for the Bombers is Jordan Beers at 11.0 points per game.  Half of Beers' field goals this season have come from behind the 3-point arc as the junior guard has drained 43 in all.  Ali Ricchiuti scores 10.3 points a game while Erin Ferguson notches 10.1 points and a team-leading 5.5 rebounds per game in her senior season.   
        
SCOUTING HARTWICK:  The third overall seed in this year's championship, Hartwick finished its 2016-17 conference schedule with a 13-3 mark.  The Hawks also played well to close out their regular season having won five of their last six games.  Hartwick ranks second overall in the Empire 8 in scoring offense at 65.9 points per game while on the defensive end, it surrenders just 58.4 points on average.  Much of the Hawks' success can be attributed to its 3-point shooting prowess as they lead the conference in both 3-point percentage (.330) and 3-pointers made (172). Like Stevens, Hartwick tends to make things difficult for its opponents on the offensive side as it holds opponents to just a .346 field goal percentage.

In all, four players average double figures in scoring for head coach Katie Marcella led by Emily Stone's 14.2 points per game this season.  Jacqui Foreman nearly averages a double-double with 12.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game while Carly Johnson and Caitlin Corbett combine to score over 23 points per game.