ROCHESTER, NY – The Hartwick women's basketball team had multiple chances to tie and take the lead during a dramatic fourth quarter at St. John Fisher, but could not quite take advantage in a 62-54 loss to the Empire 8-leading Cardinals. The loss drops the Hawks to 10-8 overall and 4-3 in conference, currently in the final playoff spot. Fisher is now 13-4 on the year and a perfect 6-0 in the E8.

It did not seem like there would even be a close fourth quarter to contest, as St. John Fisher stormed out to a 17-5 lead late in the first. Leading 8-5, they went on a 9-0 run that included four points from leading scorer Ella Eckert, ending with 1:54 on the clock. Hartwick closed the gap a bit to seven by period's end, however, thanks to a lay-up from Molly Kirby (Selkirk, NY/Bethlehem) and three-pointer by Giuliana Pritchard (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam) on the following possession. 

Hartwick went to work on really erasing their deficit later in the second. With the score 28-21 and 3:40 on the clock, Maggie Kirby (Selkirk, NY/Bethlehem) converted on an old-fashioned three-point play. After Eckert responded with a lay-up a little later, Mary Schoenherr's (Unionville, CT/Farmington) trey and Molly Kirby's lay-up combined to make the margin just one, at 30-29. The Hawks could not quite take the lead, though, and the half ended with Fisher leading by three, 34-31.

A low-scoring third quarter saw the Cardinals' lead remain the same headed into the fourth. St. John Fisher led by as much as six in the period after an Amy Gardner three 2:16 in, but 'Wick had the next four points to cut the deficit to two at 40-38. Schoenherr later made the Fisher lead just one at 44-43 after making a bucket, getting fouled, and hitting from the free throw line. Mallory Wood, however, gave the home side a bit of breathing room 17 seconds later with the final bucket of the quarter. The scoreboard read 46-43, Fisher in front, after three.

The 16-11 scoreline in the fourth quarter does not come close to accurately depicting the stanza's story. Eckert was fouled and made a pair of free throws on the Cardinals' first possession, but four Schoenherr points over the next 90 seconds brought it back to a one-point game at 48-47 with 7:56 to go. St. John Fisher went back in front by four with 5:59 on the clock; undeterred, Maggie Kirby had a lay-up on the next possession and made one-of-two from the line soon after that, making the score 51-50.

A Pritchard jumper that followed a Cardinals turnover would have given the Hawks the lead on their next possession, but did not fall. Fisher's Miranda Lynch was fouled on a corner three 35 seconds later, and made two-of-three for a three-point advantage. Even after the Cardinals knocked down two more free throws with 3:25 on the clock, Hartwick stayed with it. Pritchard got a lay-up to fall as the clock ticked past three minutes, making the score 55-52. Unfortunately for Hartwick, after an Eckert lay-in they could not make another bucket for over two-and-a-half minutes, and in the interim St. John Fisher hit their free throws to escape with their undefeated conference record intact.

Schoenherr had a big game, tying for the game high and falling two points short of her career high with 16 points. She also led the Hawks with seven rebounds, had two steals, and an assist. Pritchard was next with 14 points and six rebounds, and her defensive effort shows partly in her two blocks and two steals. Molly Kirby cracked double digits for the fourth time in five games, at 13 points on 5-of-10 from the field. She picked up three boards, a block, and an assist to boot. Maggie Kirby had eight points and five rebounds, as well as a steal.

Eckert led the way for St. John FIsher, with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting and 10 rebounds for the double-double, with three assists and a block to go with it. Gardner was the only other Cardinal in double digits, at 11 points with five rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Lynch contributed nine points and four rebounds off the bench, and Leah Koonmen and Harper Mead each registered eight points (with five rebounds for Koonmen).

Neither team shot that well overall, each making 19 shots but Fisher leading with 38.0% (19-of-50) from the field compared to 'Wick's 35.8% (19-of-53). The Cardinals had a more sizeable lead from both beyond the arc (33.3% to 14.3%) and the free throw line (81.8% to 70.0%). 

They were also far stronger on the boards with 41 rebounds (10 offensive) to the Hawks' 28 (five offensive), leading to a 14-9 lead in second chance points. Hartwick was very strong in ball security, though, turning it over just six times to Fisher's 14 and enjoying a 13-2 lead in points off of turnovers as a result.

Hartwick has a quick turnaround, as they play third-place Utica on the road on Tuesday, January 28 at 7:30 p.m. The Pioneers spoiled the Hawks' Empire 8 Championship ceremony earlier this month, winning 67-60 on January 11.

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