Updated stats
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Sophomore
Jonathan Park scored the game-winning basket with :09 left and the Golden Flyers survived two last-second chances by St. John Fisher to hold on for a thrilling 75-73 men's basketball victory over the Cardinals Tuesday at Mike Daley Court at the Kidera Gymnasium.
The game was played as part of the 13th annual Battle of the Beaks fundraiser for Golisano Children's Hospital. The Golden Flyers managed to win for the fifth straight time to improve to 14-4 overall and 6-1 in the Empire 8. The loss was the first in conference play for the Cardinals, who now stand at 11-7 overall and 6-1 in the E8.
With the game tied at 73-73 with time running down, Nazareth ran an isolation play for Park on the right block and the sophomore reeled in a pass from
Zach Stenglein and banked in the game-winning basket. He finished with 16 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.
Stephen Gabel led the Golden Flyers with 20.
Cody Green added 14 and Stenglein had 11 points, a career-high nine assists and five steals.
Nazareth dominated play for much of the first half and led by as many as 18 points before settling for a 47-34 halftime lead. Nazareth made 21 of 38 first-half shots (55.3 percent), including a three-pointer by freshman
Kobe Bogart with 5:56 left to extend the lead to 35-17. Green scored 11 first-half points and Park contributed a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Fisher stormed back in the second half by using a 14-2 scoring run over the first five minute to close within one point, 49-48. The game was close the rest of the way and Fisher finally caught on a pair of free throws by Dennis Hare with :34 left to even the score at 73-73.
That set the stage for Park's late basket. After Park's basket, Fisher had two shots in the closing seconds, but Park blocked one attempt by Dylan Harrington and a second attempt by James Leone was off the mark as time expired.
Nazareth is home again Friday against Alfred at 5:30 p.m.