ROCHESTER, NY - The Golden Flyers caught fire late, outscoring St. John Fisher 28-11 down the stretch to secure a huge comeback win in the Battle of the Beaks. Nazareth improves to 13-5 overall and 8-1 in conference, St. John Fisher now sits at 10-8 and 6-3, respectively.
How It Happened:
- St. John Fisher got off to a scorching start, shooting 4/6 from the field to take a 10-2 lead just five minutes into the first half.
- Strong defensive play on both ends held the game to a low score for much of the opening stretch. Jaylen Savage then delivered consecutive baskets to narrow the Cardinal advantage to 15-13.
- The pace would begin to pick up as Luke Insley found Solomon McFarlane on a fast break to tie the game. Moments later, Jaylen Savage finished through contact for an and-1, putting Nazareth ahead 25-23 with two minutes remaining.
- A late bucket at the buzzer gave the Cardinals a 27-25 lead at the half.
- Another slow offensive start for the Golden Flyers would help Fisher get out to a 16-7 run to begin the second half as they took the lead, 43-32.
- With 10:31 left, a Merritt Holly 3-point play would wake up the crowd, giving the Golden Flyers momentum as they went on 14-6 run to cut the lead to one.
- Merritt Holly continued his strong second half, fighting through contact to give the Golden Flyers their first lead since the 2:21 mark of the first half. Luke Insley tacked on six straight points of his own to stretch the lead to 48-44 with eight minutes remaining.
- As Fisher went cold, Nazareth got hot, finishing the last 10 minutes of the game on a 28-11 run to pull away late.
Game Notes:
- This marks Nazareth's fourth straight win against St. John Fisher
- Luke Insley led the way for Nazareth, scoring 16 points and adding 8 assists
- Merritt Holly was strong on the glass, recording 11 points and 8 rebounds
- Jaylen Savage added 14 points
- Free throw shooting was pivotal as Nazareth went 13-for-16, while Fisher shot 5-for-14
What's Next:
- Nazareth is right back at it Friday, January 30th at 7:30 p.m. to take on Utica in a pivotal Empire 8 conference matchup at Kidera Gym.
