ROCHESTER, N.Y.— The Highlanders went neck and neck with the Cardinals of St. John Fisher in the first portion of Friday night's game, leading 46-45 going into the second half. Unfortunately, Houghton's second period shooting plague allowed for the Cardinals to claim the 97-65 conference win.

An exciting first half was sparked by the two teams taking turns scoring. Tied 10-10 with just over 5 minutes into the game, St. John Fisher soon took the lead. Houghton's Brandon Camacho (Dundee, NY, Dundee High School) capitalized on a 3-pointer, putting the Highlanders ahead for a brief moment.

The Cardinals went on a scoring spree, taking a 24-18, 6 point lead with 10 minutes remaining in the first half. While going back and forth in scoring, a layup by Phil Pellegrino (Rochester, NY, Brighton) would bring Houghton back to a 7 point deficit.

With just under 5 minutes left in the first half, Brandon Johnson (Philadelphia, NY, International Christian) went on a scoring session for the Highlanders, earning 6 consecutive points. A 3-point shot by Pellegrino would bring the two teams to a 43-43 tie. Another Pellegrino 3-pointer would allow for Houghton to lead 46-45 going into the second half.

Unfortunately, the same offensive momentum in the first half did not carry over into the latter portion of the game. Within the first 6 minutes of the second half, the Cardinals fought back and took a 9 point lead.

St. John Fisher continued to push forward by leading a 16-2 run. Down 23 points with 6:57 left on the clock, the Highlanders' Camacho rallied 5 points. In hopes that Camacho's efforts would allow for Houghton to regain their momentum, this was not the case. The Cardinals finished the game with a 32 point, 97-65 victory.

Camacho was credited with 18 points and 1 steal, followed by Pellegrino with 12 points, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. Johnson earned 10 points on the night.

The Highlanders look forward to their home game tomorrow against Utica College at 4:00 p.m.