ELMIRA, N.Y. - The St. John Fisher men's basketball team snapped its season-long six-game losing streak and clinched a spot in the Empire 8 Conference postseason tournament with a 73-64 win over Elmira on Friday night. The Cardinals (11-12, 7-7 Empire 8) defeated the Soaring Eagles (8-15, 3-11 Empire 8) for the second time this season and the 40th consecutive time overall. 

The Cardinals were led by sophomore center Maximus Michalski, who contributed on both ends of the floor in an impactful 21 minutes. He tallied 15 points on 6-13 shooting, to go along with six rebounds (three offensive), two assists and four blocks. He was helped out by sophomore guard Andrew Violante, who scored 12 points, nine of which were free throws, and also notched a new career high with nine rebounds. His four assists tied his career best. Junio guard Jonathan McCaffrey also scored in double figures, putting up 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting to go with seven boards. 

Elmira was led by senior forward Tyler Cardello, who scored 15 points and grabbed seven boards.

How It Happened

The Soaring Eagles struck first, jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the opening minutes, started by a pair of Cardello free throws. Fisher battled back, however, as a Michalski layup with just under 13 minutes to go in the half tied the score at nine apiece. This was one of eight times the game was tied, with each team knotting the score four times. The rest of the first frame was excellent back-and-forth basketball, as neither team could open up a lead larger than five points. The Cardinals got the last laugh in the first, as junior guard Jonathan McCaffrey snagged an offensive rebound, was fouled, and made a shot at the stripe to push the Fisher lead to 28-24 at the break. 

The second half was more of the same, as the teams traded buckets for the first five minutes of the frame. However, the decisive period of the game came when the Cardinals took advantage of opportunities at the free throw line and accurate three-point shooting to go on a 9-0 run starting with 13:39 left in the contest. Sophomore guards Alex Hayes and Jack Janes both knocked down triples during the run, giving the Cardinals a 45-33 lead. The Soaring Eagles did not go down without a fight, but the smallest they could cut the Fisher lead to was six points. The Cardinals sank their last three free throws in a row to cement the victory. 

Game Notes

• With the victory, the Cardinals clinched a spot in the Empire 8 tournament for the 10th time in the last 12 seasons.

• Michalski's four blocks were his second-most this season.

• Fisher did not score a field goal in the last 3:20 of the game, tallying their last nine points at the free throw line on 12 attempts.

Up Next

The Cardinals remain on the road to take on Keuka on Saturday, February 14. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.