BOXSCORE | CUMULATIVE STATS
PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Senior guard Joe Canori scored a game-high 32 points, including the go-ahead basket with :18 left Wednesday, to lift third-seeded Nazareth to an 88-82 men's basketball victory over RIT in the opening round of the JPMorgan Chase Scholarship Tournament played at St. John Fisher's Manning & Napier Varsity Gymnasium.

The victory improved Nazareth's overall record to 9-2 and advanced the Golden Flyers to Friday's tournament semifinals at the University of Rochester. They will play at 6:15 p.m. against second-seeded Geneseo, a 67-66 overtime winner over Roberts Wesleyan. The sixth-seeded Tigers are 6-6. In other first-round games, Brockport edged St. John Fisher, 88-87, and top-seeded Rochester routed Keuka, 81-37. Brockport and Rochester will square off in Friday's other semifinal at 8:15 p.m. The championship game is Saturday at 8 p.m. All semifinal and championship games are available on WYSL-AM (1040) and at www.wysl1040.com.

Nazareth led for most of Wednesday's first-round game, but the Tigers tied the scored at 82-82 on a three-pointer by Barrett Zeinfeld with :50 left. On Nazareth's next possession, Canori got the ball in the right corner and dribbled toward the free-throw line and pulled up for the game-winning 15-foot shot.

Rayvon Higdon made a steal on RIT's next possession and fed Canori for another basket, an uncontested layup, with :09 left. Nazareth got yet another steal, by Jeff DeHimer, who passed to Higdon for a game-ending dunk to reach the six-point victory margin.

Canori's 32 points came on 12 for 22 shooting and included three three-point baskets. Higdon finished with 18 points, Corey McAdam added 15 points to go with six assists and seven rebounds and DeHimer contributed 10 points and nine rebounds.

Nazareth led 43-38 at halftime on the strength of 13 points from Canori and 12 from Higdon. The Golden Flyers never trailed in the second half and led by as many as 10 points, 73-63, on a basket by Canori with 6:45 to go. RIT tied the scored three times in the second half, the final time coming on Zeinfeld's fifth three-pointer of the game.

Mark Carson was the Tigers' high scorer with 18 points. He also grabbed nine rebounds. Zeinfeld had 15 and Kenny Gethers scored 13.

Nazareth made 32 of 67 shots from the field and 17 of 21 free throws. Each team had 38 rebounds.