The St. John Fisher College women's basketball program earned its seventh straight win, as the Cardinals picked up a 63-51 win over visiting Ithaca College on Saturday at Fisher's Bobby Wanzer Court.

With the win, Fisher, playing in its sixth game in the last eight days, improves to 12-2 overall and 5-0 in the Empire 8 Conference, while the Bombers, who had won four straight, fall to 7-7, 4-2.

The game was a rematch of last year's Empire 8 Conference Championship. Fisher earned the automatic to the NCAA Division III Championship last March with an 86-84 win over the host Bombers in overtime.


Fisher took an 11-4 lead on a 3-pointer from Emily Piacentini with four minutes left in the opening period, but the Bombers closed out the quarter with an 8-2 run.

Fisher opened the second quarter with a 7-0 spurt to take an eight-point lead and pushed its advantage to nine at 31-22 going into the locker room with Nicole Robinson's eight points leading the way.

Ithaca opened the third quarter with a 9-1 run to pull within two points at 33-31 over the first five minutes of the third, but the Cardinals rallied.   Piacentini hit a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the third to put Fisher up 47-38 going into the fourth.

After Maria Kelleher hit two free throws on Fisher's first possession of the fourth, Piacentini made her third 3-pointer of the day to put the Cardinals up 14 at 52-38 with 8:47 remaining.

Fisher led 54-40 with 5:56 left, but Ithaca answered with a 9-0 run, cutting Fisher's lead down to five at 54-49 with 1:44 remaining.

McKenzie Bezon, however, went 6-for-6 from the foul line over a 33-second span to put the Cardinals back up double-digits, while the Fisher defense kept the Bombers at bay.

Fisher shot just 6-of-22 (27.3%) from the floor in the second half, but went 18-for-22 (81.8%) from the foul line. 

Piacentini finished with 13 points, while Bezon and Robinson added 10 points.   Caroline Robertson chipped in with nine points and six boards, while Jessica Rhone added seven points and seven rebounds.

Kelleher scored eight points in 10 minutes of action.   Mary Kate Cusack dished out a five assists, while Bridget Carney finished with three steals.

Fisher will return to action at 8 p.m. on Tuesday and will host Utica College.