PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Brendan Trapper and Daniel Cook combined for 38 points on Friday as the top-seeded St. John Fisher College men's basketball team held on for a 66-63 win over fourth-seeded Russell Sage College in the semifinal round of the Empire 8 Championship inside Manning and Napier Varsity Gymnasium on Bobby Wanzer Court.  The Cardinals moved to 11-1 following the victory while the Gators had their season come to a close at 4-5.

With the win, Fisher advanced to Sunday's championship game where it will host the second-seeded Utica College Pioneers who defeated third-seeded Nazareth College, 69-59, on the other side of the bracket.

The Cardinals got off to a slow start and trailed the Gators 16-8 with six minutes having been played.  As the first half continued, Fisher found its footing on both ends as the home team orchestrated a 19-2 run fueled by three from behind the arc including two from Louden Porter while the Gators converted just one of 10 attempts from the field over a span of 6:30 to stake Fisher to a 34-24 lead.

Holding a 10-point cushion with under four minutes to play in the first half, the Cardinals saw their lead cut in half after a 5-0 run by the Gators, but Trapper scored four of the team's final five points to make it 39-34 in Fisher's favor at the break.

As the second half got underway, both teams pounded the ball inside with Fisher clinging to a 50-48 lead after Cook broke loose for a lay-up. Up by one possession, Fisher was never able to create any separation on the scoreboard as the Gators hung around and eventually took a 63-62 lead after scoring seven unanswered points.

With under a minute to play and trailing by one, the Cardinals put the ball in the Empire 8 Player of the Year's hands as Cook penetrated and leaped over three players as the ball bounced off the backboard and in to reclaim the lead with 46 seconds still showing on the clock.

Down by a point with time working against it, Sage called a timeout to draw up a play, but the Cardinals swarmed the ball as Sean Williams, who was named the Empire 8 defensive Player of the Year on Thursday, picked off the pass and pushed the ball across the timeline.

With 38 seconds left in the game, the Gators did not foul as Cook held the ball at the top of the key. As the shot clock hit single digits, the Honeoye Falls native made his move and hit a cutting Trapper who sank a turnaround fade away bucket with seven ticks remaining on the game clock to give Fisher some breathing room.

Facing a three-point gap, Sage tried to heave up a final second shot to send the game into overtime, but it was off the mark as Fisher held on to advance to Sunday's finale.

Cook finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and four assists in the win while Trapper added a double-double of his own with 19 points and 10 boards.  Mark Valeriani netted seven in the win while Porter and Ryan Gentile scored six points apiece.