PITTSFORD, NY –Trailing, 73-72, Houghton's Cori Beck grabbed the offensive rebound and sank the game-winning layup just before time expired to sink the St. John Fisher Cardinals, 74-73, on their home court.
Only moments earlier the Highlanders watched the Cardinals erase a six-point Houghton lead as Amy Gardner completed a three-point play to put Fisher up by one. Beck's foul sent Gardner to the line for the go-ahead basket, before vindicating herself, and the Highlanders, seconds later.
Fisher jumped out a five-point lead in the first quarter, but Houghton fought back, eventually moving ahead, 25-22, on a Caitlyn Cybart three-pointer. The Highlanders led the majority of rest of the half, but the Cardinals hit a three of their own with 1:38 to go to regain the lead, 36-37.
With only second remaining in the half, Caitlyn Cybart sank a pair of free throws, and as Fisher attempted a last second shot, the Cardinals fouled Beck as she grabbed the defensive rebound, sending her to the line without time on the clock. Beck converted one-of-two, and the Highlanders went to the locker room up by two.
Houghton maintained their lead throughout the third, but with 12 seconds left on the clock, Fisher's Leah Koonmen sank a three-pointer to pull the Cardinals within three points. Again Houghton responded, as Caitlyn Cybart drained her sixth three-pointer of the game as time expired, putting Houghton back up by six.
Fisher battled back in the fourth and the two teams went neck-and-neck down the wire with Houghton clinging to a slim lead.
With 2:25 remaining a Hannah Cybart layup gave Houghton a six-point advantage. The Cardinals responded over the next two minutes with a 7-0 run, capped by Gardner's three-point play, leading up to Beck's last-second heroics.
The Highlanders have now won three conference games in a row, including two upsets of top conference opponents on last-second shots.
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 74 | St. John Fisher – 73
Records: Houghton: 5-14 (3-5 Empire 8) | St. John Fisher: 13-6 (6-2 Empire 8)
Venue: Manning & Napier Varsity Gymnasium, St. John Fisher College | Attendance: 131
NOTABLE STATS
>> Beck continued her torrid stretch in the second-half of the season, notching 16 points, eight assists, five steals and five rebounds. She has reach double-digit points in six of her last seven games. With her fourth assist of the evening, Beck passed Charity O'Connor (1994-97) for sole possession of 3
rd place on the Houghton women's basketball assist leader board. Beck now has 353 career assists, six shy of the second-place holder, current Houghton women's basketball coach,
Alicia Mucher.
>> Caitlyn Cybart finished with a career-high 20 points, sinking another career-high six three-pointers on only eight attempts. Her sister, Hannah Cybart, finished 6-of-11 from the floor, good for 13 points.
>> Emie Taylor added 10 points for the Highlanders, including her second career three-pointer. The Houghton center is now 2-2 from beyond the arc in her career, both coming in the past three games.
>> Fisher's Ella Eckert led all scorers with 22 points, making 10-of-16 shots from the field, and added 12 rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals.
UP NEXT
The Highlanders return to the Nielsen Center tomorrow afternoon to take on the Nazareth Golden Flyers in the opening game of a men's/women's Empire 8 doubleheader at 4:00 p.m.