Senior Mary Kate Cusack scored 10 straight points during a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter to lift the St. John Fisher College women's basketball program to a 54-49 win over East-Avenue rival Nazareth College on Thursday night.

With the win, Fisher improves to 11-2 overall and 4-0 in the Empire 8 Conference, while Nazareth drops to 10-4, 4-2.

Nazareth led for a majority of the game, taking a double-digit lead at 15-5 midway through the first quarter.

Fisher, who trailed 29-24 at the half, took its first lead of the game at 32-31 off a layup from Jessica Rhone, who came off the bench and contributed nine points, with 5:11 left in the third.

Nazareth led 39-37 going into the fourth and hit a 3-pointer on its first possession of the final period to make it 42-37 before Fisher delivered the decisive run.
Cusack scored on a put-back layup with 6:56 left, and on the ensuing possession, she tied the game with a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

With 5:54 remaining, Cusack was fouled going to the basket and made both free throws.  And on the following possession, she hit her second 3-pointer of the game.   Bridget Carney capped the 12-0 run with a short jumper to put the Cardinals up 49-42 with just over four minutes left.

Nazareth pulled to within three points in the final minute, but Emily Piacentini and Caroline Robertson were a combined 3-of-4 from the foul line to seal the win.
Cusack finished the game with 16 points, seven rebounds and two steals, while Robertson added nine points.  Carney posted eight points and eight rebounds.

Fisher returns to action at 4 p.m. on Saturday and will host Ithaca College in a rematch of last year's Empire 8 Championship, won by Fisher in double-overtime.