MORRISVILLE, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher women's basketball team (1-3) used a big third quarter to push past SUNY Morrisville (0-3) 60-51 on Tuesday night for its first victory of the 2025-26 season. 

Freshman guard Natalie Mai led the Cardinals with 23 points while shooting 7-of-15 overall, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range, and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. She also led the Cardinals with seven assists.

Senior forward Hannah Ferguson scored 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting (2-of-7 from three) and pulled down a team-high 16 rebounds as part of her first collegiate double-double. Senior guard Presleigh Brunner contributed with 11 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks. 

How It Happened

The Cardinals jumped out to a 9-1 lead in the first three minutes of the game behind 3-pointers from Mai, Ferguson and sophomore guard Valerosa Gambitta, but the Mustangs hung in there and trailed by just four, 20-16, at the end of the first quarter. 

Fisher fell behind by four briefly in the second quarter before going on an 18-7 run to take a 40-31 lead into halftime. Mai had eight points during that stretch to finish the first half with 16 on 4-of-9 shooting (3-of-6 from three), while Ferguson added five, and junior forward Danielle Seamon had three. 

The Cardinals, behind seven more points from Mai, broke the game open in the third quarter, outscoring Morrisville 16-6. Mai and Brunner each scored five points during a 14-2 run over seven minutes that put Fisher ahead by a game-high 19 points, 56-37. 

Anyssia Ingersoll scored 12 points as the Mustangs went on a 14-2 run of their own to pull within seven, 58-51, in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals, despite shooting 2 of 14 (0 of 5 from three) and turning the ball over six times in the final frame, held on down the stretch as Morrisville went cold, missing all four of its shots from the field and a pair of free throws in the last two minutes. 

Ingersoll led the Mustangs with a game-high 32 points while shooting 12-of-32 overall, 5-of-10 from deep and 3-of-4 from the foul line. Abbie Platt added 12 points and 11 rebounds. 

Game Notes

• Mai has led the Cardinals in scoring in each of the last three games. 

• Mai has scored 20 or more points twice in four games already in her rookie season. 

• Mai has shot better than 40% from 3-point range in each of Fisher's last three games. 

• Freshman forward Payton O'Dell added eight points and 10 rebounds in 15 minutes of action off the bench. 

Up Next

The Cardinals face the University of Rochester at 7 p.m. on Friday inside the Manning & Napier Varsity Gym.