PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College women's basketball suffered a heartbreaker on Saturday afternoon as the Cardinals fell to Hartwick College, 55-52, after the Hawks delivered a go-ahead 3-pointer with one second left in regulation to steal a win inside Manning and Napier Varsity Gymnasium on Bobby Wanzer Court.  With the loss, Fisher fell to 7-4 on the season and 1-1 in the conference standings while the Hawks improved to 8-3 overall and 1-1 against Empire 8 opponents.

The Cardinals dominated from the opening whistle as Fisher held Hartwick to just four points in the first quarter and forced its guest in to eight turnovers en route to a 14-4 edge leading into the second period.

The Hawks climbed back within striking distance as the second quarter got underway after scoring six of the frame's first eight points, but the Cardinals regained the momentum with seven unanswered points capped by a 3-pointer from Elle Lazore to hold a 13-point cushion, 23-10.  From there, however, the tides turned again as Hartwick found its groove to the tune of a 10-2 run to close out the first half pull to within five points, 25-20, at intermission.

The Hawks carried their progress over to begin the third stanza with back-to-back 3-pointers to turn a deficit into a lead with just one minute gone by.  Fisher would regain the lead two minutes later after Elle Lazore and Julia Mertsock connected on a pair of triples, but Hartwick continued to hang around as the Hawks used an 8-3 run to open up a two-point edge, 36-34. 

Trailing by a pair, Fisher strung together a run of its own as the Cardinals produced seven of the quarter's final nine points including five from Mertsock to take a three-point margin to the final frame. 

The lead changed hands twice in the opening two minutes of play before the Cardinals scored six quick points capped by a 3-pointer from Lazore to hold a six-point lead, 49-43, with just under six minutes to go. 

Holding a two-possession lead with time ticking away, Fisher managed just three points over the final 5:42 while the Hawks found a rhythm and eventually chipped away before hitting the final-second triple to come out ahead, 55-52.

Lazore led the team with 18 points and tallied a career-high six steals on the defensive end.  Sydney Masna finished with nine points in all while Ella Eckert contributed eight points and eight boards overall.  Mertsock finished with eight points of her own and a game-high 11 rebounds.  Erin Hulbert nine rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes.

The Cardinals will look to right the ship at 5:30 p.m. on Friday when it hosts The Sage Colleges in an Empire 8 tilt inside Manning and Napier Varsity Gymnasium on Bobby Wanzer Court.