Box Score Box | Updated stats
PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Host St. John Fisher outscored Nazareth 39-33 in the second half Friday to overcome a four-point halftime deficit to defeat the Golden Flyers, 67-65, in an Empire 8 Conference men's basketball game played at Fisher's Varsity Gym.

Nazareth dropped to 15-7 overall and 7-4 in conference games, while Fisher kept its hopes alive for a playoff spot by improving to 15-9 overall and 8-5 in the Empire 8. Nazareth travels to Elmira Saturday for a 2 p.m. game, while Fisher travels to Alfred.

Brad Ford led all scorers with 26 points for Nazareth. Jack Giles scored 13 and Maurice Mills 11 with a game-high 15 rebounds. Chaz Lott was Fisher's high scorer with 24 points.

Nazareth led 32-28 at halftime behind 12 points from Brad Ford and eight from Giles. Maurice Mills had seven points and nine rebounds. Lott scored 13 in the first half for Fisher, which shot 36 percent (9 for 25) from the field in the first 20 minutes.

Nazareth led for a good portion of the second half before the Cardinals rallied late by using a 20-7 scoring run to turn a 50-46 deficit into a 66-57 lead 3:01 left. Lott had seven of his points during the run and Optimystik Kinard scored on back-to-back possessions to cap the rally.

Nazareth rallied behind back-to-back three-pointers by Brad Ford and a basket by Mitch Ford to close within 66-65 with :24 left. Fisher's Stefan Bock made a free throw with :18 left, but Mills grabbed the rebound after he missed the second shot. Giles drove to the basket in an attempt to tie the score, but his shot was blocked by Lott with :06 left.

Fisher's Keegan Ryan got the rebound to seal the win for the Cardinals.

Nazareth shot 24 for 58 (41.4 percent) from the field, including 6 for 16 from three-point range (37. percent). In addition to Lott, Fisher got 13 points from Kinard and 10 from Ryan.