ROCHESTER, NY – Nazareth College was held to its lowest point total of the season, falling 63-56 to East Avenue rival St. John Fisher College Thursday night in the first go around of the Battle of the Beaks. 

Each squad entered the game undefeated in conference play.  Nazareth falls to 8-6 overall and 4-1 in Empire 8 play, while Fisher moves to 10-3 and 4-0, respectively.

Brendan Wind converted a traditional three-point play at the 12 minute mark to give Nazareth a 12-10 lead. 

Mitch Ford was held without a basket until the 10:17 mark, however, he scored on three straight possessions to make it 19-15 in favor of the home squad.

The Golden Flyers led from 11:58 to 1:57 before a Tyler Hart 3-pointer shifted the lead to Fisher at 28-27.

It was 30-27 at the half.

Two long stretches without field goals in the second half doomed the Golden Flyers.

Ford tallied a layup at the 14:14 mark to cut the Fisher lead to 41-38, before Nazareth went over seven minutes without a field goal.

Josh Gillard drained Nazareth's second 3-pointer of the game to end the drought and make it 49-43.

Following Gillard's 3-pointer, Nazareth went five more minutes without a field goal until the junior nailed another triple at 2:17 cutting the Cardinals lead to 53-48.  He finished with nine points in the game.

On the ensuing possession, Hart drained a 3-pointer of his own as the shot clock expired to seize momentum at 55-48.

Nazareth was able to get as close as 57-53 following a Ford traditional 3-point play, but Nazareth came no closer.

Ford ended with a team-high 20 points (9-for-16) and grabbed 12 rebounds.  It was his 11^th double-double of the season.

Wind was the only other scorer in double figures with 11 points.

Each team struggled from the floor with Nazareth shooting 35 percent (21-60) and Fisher shooting 36 percent (22-61).

Nazareth returns to action next Tuesday when it will host Hartwick College at 6 p.m.