ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The St. John Fisher University men's basketball team competed against Utica University for a Tuesday night match up. At the end of regulation, Fisher came out on top by a score of 65-63, giving Utica their first league loss. The Cardinals stand at 16-6 on the season and are now 12-3 in conference play. Utica falls to 18-3 overall and is 13-1 in conference play.
Utica got a fast start to the first half scoring. Connor Recore got on the board first for Fisher with a layup assisted by Daniel Cook. The Cardinals had an early deficit to come back from and slowly chipped away. Cook was next to tally two, and Jack Foley right behind sinking a three assisted by Cole Thompson to close the deficit to just three. There was a four-minute period with back and forth play with no scoring by either team. The Pioneers started to pull away putting up five quick points. Cook answered back off an assist from Akinlana Popoola to slow the Pioneers momentum. With five minutes to go the Pioneers had their biggest lead of the half, 29-19. Ryan Gentile converted on a three-point play to close the gap and turn the momentum around, this started a run for Fisher. Popoola, Brendan McRoy and Cook totaled seven points to tie the game up at 29-29 apiece. Popoola finished out the Cardinals scoring with a lay up to bring the score down by just one at halftime, 31-32.
As the second half began, Cook tallied the first four for Fisher. Utica answered back bringing the score to 42-35 at the 16:04 minute mark. Eric Kegler added a lay up to slow the run down the Pioneers were trying to create. The Cardinals were down by 10 with 14 to go, and in three minutes, the team strung together 10 points, led by Cook with four of them. This run brought the score to 47-49, Fisher down by just two with 10 minutes left in regulation. Utica held on and wouldn't give up the lead they created. Gentile hit a jump shot as the shot clock was winding down, assisted by Popoola to keep the energy high. Cook tallied three and Popoola added two to bring the score to 54-55, down by just one at the 4:47 minute mark.
Cook tied the score up twice, 56-56 and then hitting three to tie it again at 59-59 with 2:54 left. Gentile was fouled with 1:40 on the clock and he converted on both to give Fisher their first lead of the game 61-59. With 21 seconds left, the game was tied at 63-63; Kegler was fouled and put on the line with five seconds left. He converted on one, putting the score to 64-63 with three seconds to go. Utica called a timeout, with three seconds to go but did not have a timeout to give. With this technical foul, Gentile made one free through to push the lead to 65-63. Utica with the ball, ultimately did not have enough time to get anything off and Cardinals won by a final score of 65-63.
Cook finished with 26 points to the lead way. He added nine rebounds, three assists, and went 62.5% on field goals. Right behind was Gentile, he put up 13 points, three steals, three rebounds and two assists.
Up next for the Cardinals, on Saturday February 11th, the team will compete in the second battle of the beaks away at Nazareth College. This Empire 8 match up is set to start at 7pm.
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