Niagara's Fisher leads nation in scoring -- and cheers

Niagara's Charron Fisher has fought through tough defenses and double teams to lead the nation in scoring with 27.9 points per game. AP

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Portal Rogers has a purple hat that she's saving for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship game. Whether or not she gets to wear it is largely up to her son, Charron Fisher.

Niagara's senior sharpshooter leads the nation in scoring (27.9 ppg) and may also lead in maternal support. Fisher's mother has made all but two games of Fisher's senior season from her home outside of Philadelphia and has become quite a celebrity among the Purple Eagles supporters. Rogers says she does a "roll call" for the Niagara players before each game and keeps up the enthusiasm for 40 minutes.

"Everyone can hear her," says Fisher. "She gets the end zone going at home and we get a big advantage."

The frequent trips Rogers has made have not been easy. As a daycare provider, Rogers says she needs to give ample notice to her clients so they can make arrangements when she is away. Financially, Rogers does whatever she can to make trips, including selling pizzas and candy on the side over the summer.

"She really doesn't have the money to fly to places," Fisher says. "Every game is a struggle. She gets help from family members with plane tickets, or takes the train or shares rides with people. It is tough for her to get here, so that is why it is so important to me to get the job done."

Rogers was able to make Niagara's trip to San Francisco in December for the two-game Cable Car Classic, which it won, and she has everything lined up for the rest of the year, including a possible NCAA tournament trip. Rogers missed last year's Niagara-Kansas first-round matchup because of a weather delay and she says she cried for nearly a week.

"I love the game of basketball and I love seeing my son play," says Rogers, who wears one of four purple-and-black outfits to every game. "I feel like he needs to hear my voice. That's all I do. I don't party. I go to church and I go to my son's games. That is my enjoyment."

There has been plenty to enjoy lately. Fisher scored 45 points at Loyola (Md.) on Feb. 10, and had 41 in his next game against Iona, becoming the first player since Gonzaga's Adam Morrison in 2006 to have back-to-back 40-point games. Fisher has scored at least 30 points 10 times and has scored a at least 17 points in every game as Niagara (17-8, 11-5 in the MAAC) has surged into a tie for first place in its conference.

Fisher has been on the floor every game this season, something that had not happened since arriving from Philadelphia's Roman Catholic High in Philadelphia. His freshman season was cut short with 13 games left by a knee injury. As a sophomore, an injury to his other knee caused him to miss the final 10 games. Last year, Fisher missed the first eight games after he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault following a fight outside a Niagara nightclub.

According to the Niagara Gazette, Jeffrey St. Denis, a pitcher on the Niagara baseball team, was getting into his car when Fisher grabbed him, punched him in the mouth and knocked him to the ground. The victim said he was surrounded by other members of the basketball team and got punched and kicked. St. Denis was hospitalized after the attack with a concussion, and six members of the basketball team were suspended, with Fisher's being the longest at eight games. The New York Times reported there were racial overtones to the fight, which Niagara's athletic director dismissed. Fisher's charges were eventually dismissed after community service and anger management counseling.

Niagara coach Joe Mihalich says since then Fisher has matured and become a leader in his final season with the team.

"What I am proud of is he has clearly been terrific on the floor, but he has been just as good off the floor," Mihalich says. "He's been a great leader. Watching film, in the locker room, on the bus, he is just a coach's dream. When he was a freshman, I didn't know if he was going to be a coach's dream by the time he was a senior, but he is."

Mihalich credits Rogers for Fisher's maturation. "If Charron ever gives me a hard time, and I can't resolve it, I make one phone call [to his mother] and everything is taken care of," Mihalich says. "She is an incredible mom. She is a very strong person."

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