The St. John Fisher College women's basketball team rolled past Hartwick College 71-51 in Oneonta on Friday, picking up its eighth consecutive victory.

The Cardinals, who are receiving votes in the D3hoops.com national poll, sit atop the Empire 8 Conference standings and improve to 13-2 overall and 6-0 in Empire 8 contests following the win. Hartwick drops to 6-9 overall and 4-3 in conference games on the season after the loss.

Fisher started the game shooting 7-of-9 (78%) from the floor in the first seven minutes of the quarter to jump out to an 18-10 lead. Emily Piacentini also began the game strong, shooting a 3-of-4 for eight points in the 1st quarter, leading the Cardinals to a 20-10 lead at the end of the first stanza.

In the second quarter, Fisher built its lead to as many as 16 points when Erin Hulbert drained a 3-pointer with 3:57 left in the half. McKenzie Bezon was credited with one of her game-high five assists on the play. The Cardinals would eventually take a 30-18 lead into intermission.

Despite Fisher jumping out to a 19-point advantage midway through the third quarter, Hartwick stayed in the game by outscoring the Cardinals 17-8 in the last four minutes of the period. That left the score at 47-37 in favor of Fisher heading into the final quarter.

The Cardinals were relentless in the fourth quarter, scoring 24 points in the frame behind eight points from Bridget Carney. Carney, who had 12 points and five rebounds in the contest, helped seal a 20-point victory for Fisher by going 8-of-8 from the free throw line in the final quarter. 

Piacentini finished with 13 points in the contest while Mary Kate Cusack totaled 12 points, six rebounds and four steals.

Caroline Robertson contributed seven points on 3-of-5 shooting in the contest.

Fisher will return to the fold at 8 p.m. on Wednesday as it heads to Alfred University to take on the Saxons in an Empire 8 contest.