Despite erasing a 15-point halftime deficit, the nationally-ranked St. John Fisher College men's basketball team lost to host SUNY Oneonta 77-73 on Sunday in non-conference action.
The Cardinals, ranked 24th nationally in the most recent D3hoops.com poll, fell to 4-3 on the season after the loss while the Red Dragons improved to 5-2 with the win.
Fisher found itself in a hole early-on as it trailed 14-4 just four minutes into the game. Moments later Chaz Lott hit a free throw before finding Alex Sausville for a layup to make it a 16-9 game with 12:25 remaining in the half.
The seven-point deficit was as close as the Cardinals would make it in the first half however as Oneonta outscored Fisher 30-22 to finish the half, taking a 15-point advantage at intermission.
Behind four points from Lott and a 3-pointer from Tyler English, the Cardinals were able to start the first minute of the second half off with an 8-0 run, making it 46-36 in favor of the Red Dragons.
Three minutes later with Oneonta leading 52-41, Lott caught fire for Fisher, scoring ten consecutive points including two-straight 3-pointers. Lott's run was followed up by two-straight layups from Keegan Ryan, capping off a 15-2 Cardinals run. The run allowed Fisher to take its first lead of the game at 56-55 with 10:52 left in the contest.
The Cardinals and Red Dragons would go back-and-forth down the stretch as the two exchanged leads six times and were tied six times. Then with the two knotted up at 68 with under three minutes left in the game, Oneonta went on a 6-0 run to take a 74-68 lead and just 1:57 left on the clock.
Ryan and Lott would score the next four points to put Fisher down by just two but the Cardinals were unable to tie the game and Oneonta eventually held on for the four-point victory.
Much of the offense in the contest ran through Ryan and Lott as the two combined for 48 of Fisher's 73 points. Lott finished the game with a season-high 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting while also dishing out five assists. Ryan was strong down-low for the Cardinals, tallying 22 points and eight rebounds.
Tyler English added seven points and three rebounds while Sausville finished with six points and four rebounds in the game.
The Cardinals will return to action at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, December 29th when they take on Cazenovia College in the first game of the Fisher-hosted Woodcliff Hotel and Spa Invitational.