| 1/20/2006 9:58:01 PM

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PITTSFORD, NY - The RIT men's basketball team fell to 7-7 on the season and 1-2 in the Empire 8 after falling to #16 St. John Fisher by a score of 76-55 before a near capacity crowd of 900 fans at the Manning-Napier Varsity Gym on Friday night.

St. John Fisher used a 13-0 run midway through the first half to take a 33-16 lead on a free throw by Sean O'Brien.  The Cardinals led 41-25 at halftime and by as much as 27 in the second half. 

Four players scored in double figures for St. John Fisher.  Mike McGee scored a game-high 18 points and hit four 3-pointers.  Dan McSweeney added 12 points, while Nick Bennett and Sean O'Brien scored 10 points each for the Cardinals, who improve to 12-2 overall and 3-0 in the Empire 8.  Last weekend, the Cardinals won the 40th Annual J.P. Morgan Chase Scholarship Tournament.

Tim Bacon (Massena, NY/Massena) (Massena, NY/Massena) led the Tigers with eight points and four rebounds.  Eleven players scored for RIT.  Cameron Youngblood (Philadelphia, PA/Haverford) (Philadelphia, PA/Haverford School) chipped in with seven points.  Barrett Zeinfeld (Tuscon, AZ/Catalina Foothills) (Tucson, AZ/Catalina Foothills), Tyler Springer (Endwell, NY/Maine-Endwell) (Endwell, NY/Maine Endwell), Rob Hampton (Ocala, FL/Belleview) (Ocala, FL/Belleview) and Kris Kowalczyk (Albany, NY/Colonie) (Albany, NY/Colonie) scored six points each.

St. John Fisher out-rebounded RIT 48-27, including 18-9 on the offensive glass.  RIT shot 39.2 percent from the field in the game.

The Tigers are back in action on Saturday afternoon, as they travel to Alfred, NY to play the Saxons of Alfred University in an Empire 8 contest.  Tip-off begins at 4 p.m.