PITTSFORD, N.Y. – For the sixth time in program history and for the second time in the last three years, the nationally-ranked St. John Fisher College women's basketball stands alone atop the Empire 8 after the top-seeded Cardinals defeated third-seeded Nazareth College on Saturday afternoon, 83-52, to win the Empire 8 Championship and secure the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship. With the win, Fisher, which is ranked 22nd in the latest D3hoops.com national poll, improved to 25-2 on the year, which marks its most wins in a season since going 25-5 during the 2004-05 season. The Golden Flyers had their season come to an end at 17-10.
Senior Amy Gardner was named the championship's Most Valuable Player after averaging 8.5 points, five assists, 4.5 steals and nearly three rebounds per game. The Dryden native was also the recipient of the Empire 8's Torchbearer Award with the highest cumulative grade-point average (3.97) among the team's competing in this year's championship field.
The Cardinals will now await word on where and whom they'll face in the opening round of the NCAA Championship. The selection show will air at 2:30 p.m. on Monday and can be watched by visiting ncaa.com.
Claire Kruszka posted a game-high 19 points in the win on 7-of-13 shooting to go along with six rebounds and three steals while Gardner added 14 points, four assists and two steals of her own. Kaitlyn Walker posted her second straight double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds while Sidney Tomasso added 10 points in 25 minutes. Leah Koonmen chipped in with 10 points in the win and five rebounds while Katie Moravec and Miranda Lynch each finished with six points off the bench.
Both teams were in an early rhythm as the lead changed hands 10 times over the opening 10 minutes of play before a 6-0 run over the final minute staked the Golden Flyers to a six-point cushion heading into the second period.
Trailing 21-16, the Cardinals saw the deficit grow to seven after Nazareth buried a shot on its opening possession, but Fisher responded on the other end of the floor as Gardner drained a 3-pointer at the top of the key to spark a 7-1 run that evened the score at 24-24.
As the quarter wore on, the visitors maintained a one-possession lead until the Cardinals caught fire from behind the arc with three straight 3-pointers as part of a 16-2 run over the final 4:30 of the opening half to take a double-digit lead into the locker room, 42-31.
Coming out of the break, Fisher continued to push the pace and scored 16 of the final 23 points in the third quarter to hold a 24-point cushion with 10 minutes remaining in the contest.
Holding a sizeable lead in the final frame, Fisher's advantage would grow to as many as 31 after the Cardinals used an 8-2 run over the final five minutes to clinch their 16th trip to the national tournament.