PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College women's basketball team clinched a berth in the Empire 8 Championship and continued its run through the conference on Saturday as the Cardinals notched their ninth consecutive victory in a 67-57 triumph over Hartwick College inside Manning and Napier Varsity Gymnasium on Bobby Wanzer Court.  Fisher, which matched its longest winning streak in the last 12 years, improved to 16-5 on the season and 11-1 in the conference while Hartwick fell to 5-13 overall and 4-7 against Empire 8 opponents. 

Prior to the start of the game, Fisher celebrated the accomplishments of its senior class including Allie Mowder, Caroline Robertson and Nicole Robinson.  The trio has helped Fisher to 72 wins over the last four seasons with two trips to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship in that span.

The Cardinals were able to shake off a sluggish start as the second quarter got underway.  Trailing by three to begin the period, Fisher would tie the game at 13-13 after Liga Astra Kalnina kicked it out to Alex Reigle who drained a shot from downtown.  Hartwick would reclaim the lead only to see Fisher battle back to hold the edge courtesy of a 7-0 run bookended by layups from Robinson and Robertson to make it 22-17 in the home team's favor.

As the frame continued, Fisher went cold from the floor as it missed four field goal attempts in the closing three minutes of action.  Hartwick, however, found its stride and closed out the quarter with eight unanswered points to head into intermission with a three-point lead, 27-24.

In the third, both teams jockeyed for an advantage as the lead changed hands five times before the Cardinals used a 9-0 run fueled by five points from Erin Hulbert to claim an nine-point margin heading into the final period.

Leading 47-38 to begin the fourth quarter, Robertson pushed Fisher's lead to double digits as the senior accounted for four straight points to make it 51-39.  The Hawks would cut the gap to six points with a 6-0 run, but were never able to come up with timely stops on the defensive end as the Cardinals closed out the game by scoring seven of the final 10 points.

Robertson led the way for Fisher with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting to go along with six rebounds, two steals, two assists and a pair of blocked shots.  Hulbert nailed down her seventh double-double of the year with 18 points and 12 rebounds.  The junior got the job done on the defensive end of the floor as well with four steals.  Robinson stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, six blocked shots, five rebounds and five assists while Sydney Masna contributed 10 points and six rebounds overall.

The Cardinals go for their 10th consecutive win at 8 p.m. on Tuesday as they travel to Alfred to take on the Saxons in an Empire 8 contest.