ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Nazareth overcame an 11-point, second-half deficit in a 63-55 victory over the St. John Fisher men's basketball team on Wednesday night across East Ave at Kidera Gymnasium. 

The Cardinals dropped to 10-8 overall and 6-3 in Empire 8 Conference play with the loss, their second in a row after a 6-1 start to league play. Nazareth, tied with Russell Sage atop the E8 standings, improved to 13-4 overall and 8-1 in the conference. 

The Golden Flyers have won four straight games against the Cardinals and five of the last six games in the series since the 2023-24 season. Nazareth hadn't won four or more games in a row against Fisher since a four-game winning streak that spanned the 2012 and 2013 seasons. 

Senior guard Max Schneider, sophomore guard Alex Hayes and sophomore forward/center Maximus Michalski each scored 11 points to lead the Cardinals. Michalski also grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds as part of a double-double. 

Luke Insley led Nazareth with 16 points, with 12 coming in the second half, while shooting 6-of-12 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Jaylen Savage scored 14 points, while Meritt Holly chipped in 11 with a team-high eight rebounds. 

The Cardinals had a dreadful night shooting from the free-throw line, finishing 11-of-23 (47.8%). Nazareth made 20 of its 25 foul shots (80%). 

How It Happened 

The Cardinals got off to a strong start, opening the game on a 15-4 run that lasted about eight minutes. Fisher shot 5-of-9 from the field in that stretch, with Hayes leading the way with nine points. Sophomore guard Andrew Violante added three, and junior forward Jonathan McCaffrey had two. 

The Cardinals, however, went cold after gaining that 11-point lead, shooting 1-of-12 from the field as Nazareth went on a 13-3 run to tie the score at 17. The Golden Flyers took a 25-23 lead with 2:21 left in the half, but the Cardinals scored four points in the final minute to take a 27-25 lead into the break. Michalski tied the game with a pair of free throws with 52 seconds left, and Hayes fought through contact for a layup as time expired to put the Cardinals back in front. 

The early stages of the first half mirrored the early stages of the first, as Fisher once again worked to build an 11-point lead. During a stretch of more than four minutes, the Cardinals went on a 16-7 surge to take a 43-32 lead with 14:15 left while Schneider, who knocked down three 3-point shots, scored all 11 of his points. 

Once again, though, the Cardinals couldn't make a double-digit lead any more comfortable. Fisher made enough shots to stay ahead for most of the half but not enough to knock Nazareth out of striking distance, as the Golden Flyers kept chipping away until finally pulling even at 51 with 5:51 remaining on a Solomon McFarlane layup. 

After Insley gave the Golden Flyers a two-point lead with 3:58 left, McCaffrey tied the game at 53 with a layup, the last field goal Fisher would make in the contest. The Golden Flyers ended the game on a 10-2 run, during which they shot 6-of-8 from the foul line and 2-of-3 from the field. Insley had four points in the game-sealing run, while Nick Purdie added three. 

Game Notes

• Michalski recorded his third collegiate double-double and second this season. 

• McCaffrey matched his career high with 10 rebounds. He also scored eight points. 

• Junior guard Giovanni Schillaci scored six points off the bench, knocking down a pair of 3-point baskets. 

• The Cardinals finished with a 20-9 edge on the offensive glass but only scored seven points on those extra chances. 

• Nazareth finished plus-14 in paint points (38-24). 

Up Next

The Cardinals face SUNY Poly at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Manning & Napier Varsity Gym.