Published: March 09, 2008 12:47 am            

TIM SCHMITT: Fisher’s farewell anything but picturesque

COMMENTARY

ALBANY — This wasn’t how it was supposed to end.

A bruised Rider team was waiting in the wings. Niagara’s path to another Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference final seemed clear. A third trip to the NCAA Tournament was well within reach.

But there was Charron Fisher sprawled atop Spongy Benjamin, the latter smarting after being dragged to the Times Union Center floor with 18.8 seconds left and Niagara running out of options. Officials properly crossed their arms, flagging the linebacker-like Fisher for an intentional foul.

Not the postcard moment you’d hope to send the nation’s leading scorer off with.

Niagara played valiant, albeit sloppy basketball Saturday in a 66-62 loss to fifth-seeded Marist. The Eagles had trouble hitting looks that fell easily at other times this season. Fisher and Tyrone Lewis did their parts, finishing with a combined 46 points, but Benson Egemonye couldn’t stay out of foul trouble and Stanley Hodge left the floor with 4.1 seconds left, fouling out with just seven points.

The Purple Eagles have flirted with danger all season long, sidestepping it on most nights. Niagara’s high-flying brand of basketball is highlight-reel stuff, filled with Lewis’ thrilling drives, Fisher’s rainbow 3s and Joe Mihalich’s animations.

But Saturday, against a team that did the simple things — rebound, hit open looks, and knock down free throws — Niagara couldn’t simply win by being the more athletic team.

Fisher even had a rare miss at the free-throw line late in the game, although he certainly can’t be blamed for the loss. He finished with a season-high 16 rebounds, sometimes pulling loose balls even from his own teammates.

The bad news is Fisher and his big scoring average are gone. The good news is there’s more talent on the way in the form of Bilal Benn and Robert Garrison, and Lewis is a Fisher-in-waiting, ready to assume the scoring role he’s learned from his teammate.

It’s tough to walk away smiling, but Mihalich and Lewis can, knowing they’ll be back to fight another day, likely to make another deep run in a MAAC tourney some time soon.

The same can’t be said for Fisher. His accomplishments have been many. His numbers, staggering. Fisher’s stat lines have been a wonder through his time on Monteagle Ridge, but the final three he recorded — all in the closing 30 seconds of his career — were fouls.

Saturday night, with his team in need of one final push, he simply couldn’t deliver.

And a cast that had become so dependent on him couldn’t pick up the slack.

"To see what he's done is really astonishing," Mihalich said, shaking his head in disbelief that Fisher's run had ended. "Really astonishing."

Contact group sports editor Tim Schmitt at 282-2311, ext. 2266.

        

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