SELINSGROVE, Pa. – The St. John Fisher women's basketball team led after the first quarter but couldn't keep pace after halftime, falling 59-34 at Susquehanna in Saturday night's season opener inside O.W. Houts Gymnasium.
The Cardinals open the 2026-27 campaign at 0-1.
How It Happened
Fisher's defense set the tone early, holding Susquehanna to 3-of-17 shooting and 0-for-7 from 3-point range in the first quarter. Payton O'Dell scored the Cardinals' first four points on a pair of layups, and Maggie Miller's 3-pointer at the 4:06 mark made it 9-4. Fisher took a 9-6 lead into the second quarter.
Morgan Cicek's 3-pointer with 6:26 left in the half put the Cardinals back in front, 13-10, but Susquehanna closed the half on an 11-3 run to lead 21-16 at the break. The River Hawks pulled away with a 25-9 third quarter.
Cicek and Miller led the Cardinals with seven points apiece. Cicek knocked down two of Fisher's three 3-pointers off the bench, while Miller added three assists. Breanna Heidt scored six points on 3-of-4 shooting with two blocks, and O'Dell also finished with six. Madeline Broderick grabbed a team-high six rebounds, and Valerosa Gambitta had three of Fisher's eight steals as the Cardinals forced 17 turnovers.
Game Notes
- Fisher held Susquehanna to 17.6% shooting (3-of-17) and 0-for-7 from 3-point range in the first quarter.
- The Cardinals forced 17 turnovers and scored 10 points off them.
- Fisher's bench outscored Susquehanna's, 15-13, led by Cicek (7) and Heidt (6).
- Heidt's two blocks led the team, and Fisher finished with four blocks overall.
- Gambitta led the Cardinals with three steals, and Danielle Seamon added two.
- The game had three ties and three lead changes, all in the first half.
Up Next
The Cardinals return to action Sunday at the Susquehanna Tournament. The opponent and tip time are TBA.
