It had been exactly two years since the St. John Fisher men’s Basketball team had beaten Nazareth. The four-game drought ended Tuesday night as the Cardinals soared over the Golden Flyers 65-59 in a gritty victory.
Coming into the game, Nazareth sat atop the Empire 8 standings with a record of 18-7 (13-3 in conference play), while Fisher entered closer to the bottom at 11-13 overall and 8-8 in conference play.
With this win, Fisher secured a spot in the 2025-26 Empire 8 Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament. The Cardinals will take on the top-seeded Russell Sage Gators in Troy on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 2 p.m.
Fisher seized control right from the opening tip with an aggressive game plan, forcing eight first-half turnovers and 14 points in the paint before halftime.
Maxwell Schneider set the tone on the perimeter in the first half, going 4-for-4 from the field with three 3-pointers, helping Fisher build a comfortable lead.
Nazareth never led. Fisher’s advantage hovered around 10 points for much of the game and reached its largest lead of 17 at the beginning of the second half.
Nazareth chipped away at Fisher’s lead in the final stretch of the 2nd half, cutting it to four points with 1:22 left on the clock. The Golden Flyers were led by sophomore center Merritt Holly, who recorded a double-double with 19 points and 17 rebounds. The 2024-25 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year delivered a steady performance despite the loss.
Luke Insley, a fifth-year senior guard from Webster, played in his 10th Battle of the Beaks matchup against Nazareth. He dished out eight assists and finished with no points in his final regular-season game as a very accomplished Golden Flyer.
With 50 seconds remaining and the shot clock winding down, Mekhi Gidney hit a clutch jump shot to extend Fisher’s lead to six. Free throws from Jonathan McCaffery and Andrew Violante sealed the victory despite the late push from Nazareth.
Violante, a second-year guard, effectively broke down the Nazareth defense and consistently penetrated it. He totaled five points, five rebounds, and five assists.
Despite his six turnovers, Maximus Michalski played a key role in the win, having a resilient double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Both teams scored 24 points in the paint, but Fisher was slightly more efficient from the field and capitalized on key opportunities down the stretch.
Manning & Napier Varsity Gym was packed to the gills, overflowing with both Fisher and Nazareth fans. The atmosphere was loud with trash-talking coming from some of the mini-student sections across the bleachers. Possibly having an impact on the psyche of Nazareth over the course of the game.
The second installment of this year’s Men’s Battle of the Beaks lived up to expectations. Fisher will look to carry that momentum as they seek their first Empire 8 Championship since 2023.
