PITTSFORD, N.Y.—William Smith College senior Chloe Hayter posted her 17th career double-double, but St. John Fisher College prevailed 63-47 on its home floor in the opening round of the Wendy's College Classic.
 
Hayter recorded a team-high 15 points and collected a game and career-high 18 rebounds. She raised her career points total to 999, a single point shy of becoming the 15th Heron to record 1,000 career points. Hayter was the only William Smith player to reach double figures in the game. Sophomores Melanie Patterson and Courtney Chase each finished with six points.
 
The Cardinals' Mary Kate Cusack led all scorers with 18 points. Portia Velasco added 15 points and a game-high seven steals, while Sydney Bloomstein chipped in nine points and a team-high nine rebounds.
 
The Cardinals (4-1) scored the game's first 11 points, but the Herons rode a 10-1 run late in the half to take a 21-19 lead. Hayter capped the surge with four straight free throws. McKenzie Bezon's 3-pointer with 2:08 left in the half gave St. John Fisher a 24-21 lead. First-year Sarah Brophy countered with a 3-pointer at the other end of the floor to tie the game and sophomore Alyssa DiCampli made a free throw 75 seconds before the half to give William Smith its final lead of the night, 25-24. The Cardinals scored the final three points of the half to take a 27-25 lead into the locker room.
 
Fisher came out of the break in high gear, using a 15-4 run to inflate its lead to 42-29. Over the next 90 seconds, the Herons (0-4) cut their deficit to 10 three times, but got no closer. The Cardinals broke the game wide open with 12 unanswered points, building a 58-36 lead with 5:20 remaining.
 
William Smith shot 35 percent from the floor in the first half, but shot just 27 percent after the break. St. John Fisher's shooting went in the opposite direction. After making just 24 percent of its shots from the floor, they made 45 percent in the final 20 minutes.
 
The Herons held a 49-45 rebounding advantage, but the Cardinals committed 13 fewer turnovers (7-20).
 
William Smith will face Brockport (1-3) in the second round of the Wendy's College Classic on Thursday, Dec. 4. Tip off at the University of Rochester's Palestra is scheduled for 8 p.m.