ONEONTA, NY – Hartwick knocked off defending Empire 8 champion St. John Fisher (11-4, 5-1 E8), who entered tonight unbeaten in league play, by a count of 78-66 at Lambros Arena. The win allows the Hawks to vault the Cardinals in the standings into first place along with Nazareth at 6-1. The Hawks also improve to 11-5 overall.
           
Trevor Norton (Mullica Hill, NJ/Ursinus College) led the Hawks with a game-high 24 points. He was clutch for 'Wick down the stretch as he nailed 12 straight free throws in the final 3:15 to seal it. Jake Sinicki (Endicott, NY/Maine Endwell) and Matt Wilson (Shelton, CT/Franklin & Marshall College) had 14 points and 11 points, respectively. Brandon LaForest (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) contributed 10 points.
           
Neither team would lead by more than two points over an eight-minute span in a close first half of play. The Cardinals scored six straight in a quick span to go up six, 28-22, with 2:39 left in the half and the Hawks would end up settling on a four-point halftime deficit, 30-26, after a Joey Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) layup just before the break.
           
Hot shooting from the outside from Hartwick would put the hosts in front by a wide margin. Trailing 35-33 with four minutes elapsed, back-to-back three-pointers from Justin Pratt (North Kingstown, RI/North Kingstown) and then five points in a row from Norton in an 11-0 run, put the Hawks ahead 44-35 with 12:50 to play.
           
Fisher got the margin down to two, 56-54, with 6:18 remaining, but buckets from Norton and LaForest gave 'Wick breathing room. Starting at the four-minute mark, the Cardinals continually put the Hawks on the free-throw line, where they answered the calling. 'Wick would end the game 18-for-20 from the stripe in the last 3:52 to put the nail in the coffin.
           
The Hawks shot 41% from the floor and made a season-best 22 free throws. Their 84.6% from the free-throw line was their second-highest percentage of the season.

Lufkin had a big night distributing the basketball. He finished with a career-high nine assists.
           
Sinicki led Hartwick with a team-high eight rebounds and a game-high four steals. Norton chipped in with seven rebounds and Pratt, LaForest, and Marc du Moulin (Altamont, NY/Guilderland) each had four. LaForest also had three assists and two steals. Wilson notched four blocks in the contest.
           
Pratt, Norton, Sinicki, LaForest, and Glenn Gavan (Newton, NJ/Pope John XXIII) each dropped in a pair of three-pointers for 'Wick.
           
Fisher received 17 points and five threes from Tyler Hart. Tyler Farrell added 13 and Keegan Ryan added a double-double of 10 points and a game-high 13 boards.
           
Hartwick hosts Ithaca tomorrow at 2 p.m. The game marks the Hawks' Senior Day.