PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Sammy Robinson finished with a season-high 30 points as the St. John Fisher College men's basketball team clinched the second overall seed in the upcoming Empire 8 Championship after holding off visiting Utica College, 84-82, on Saturday afternoon in an Empire 8 tilt inside Manning and Napier Varsity Gymnasium on Bobby Wanzer Court. With the win, Fisher improved to 16-8 on the year and 11-2 in conference play while the Pioneers fell to 17-6, 8-4, respectively.
Robinson was 13-for-20 from the floor and added four rebounds and two assists in the win while
Sean Williams finished with 19 points after knocking down a career-high five 3-pointers.
Dennis Hare netted 19 points and grabbed four rebounds while
Matt Asenjo scored six and dished out a team-leading six assists.
Both teams were clicking on the offensive end of the floor in the early goings as the lead changed hands nine times over the first 10 minutes of play before the Pioneers held a 25-24 lead with 9:56 remaining in the opening half.
Utica's advantage would grow to five as the half continued, but the Cardinals fought back and tied the game after stringing together six of the next seven points including four from Robinson to level the game at 30-30.
As the half progressed, both teams continued to battle as the lead changed sides again after Fisher used a 10-2 run fueled by eight points from Williams to forge ahead, 42-38, with 1:23 to go before the break. Trailing by four, the advantage wouldn't remain in the Cardinals' corner for long as the visitors scored the final five points of the half to take a one-point edge into halftime, 43-42.
Coming out of the break, the Cardinals quickly turned the tables and used a 6-0 run to jump out to a 48-45 lead with just 2:21 having ticked by.
Ahead by one possession, Robinson put the team on his back with six straight points as part of a larger 9-1 run that pushed the home team ahead, 61-52. Utica would cut the gap to five points, but the Cardinals' hot shooting from distance continued as Robinson and Asenjo nailed back-to-back 3-pointers to spark an 8-0 run that made it 69-56 with under 10 minutes to play.
The Cardinals' continued to hold a double-digit lead as the second half wore on, but Utica made its move with 2:25 left to play as the Pioneers went on a 10-1 burst to tie the game at 82-82 with 39 seconds still showing on the clock. From there, Fisher would reclaim the lead after Hare hit two high-pressure free throws to make it 82-80.
Utica would call a timeout to draw up a final play, but the Cardinals swarmed the ball and prevented the visitors from getting off a quality shot as the attempt sailed wide and the final horn sounded.
The Cardinals are scheduled to host Nazareth College at 2 p.m. on Saturday in the second edition of the Battle of the Beaks inside Manning and Napier Varsity Gymnasium on Bobby Wanzer Court. The game will also coincide with Senior Day.
