CRESSON, Pa. — Five players score in double figures as the Frostburg State men’s basketball team beat Mt. Aloysius 98-83, Thursday evening.
FSU (7-9, 6-3 AMCC) scored a season-high 98 points and snapped a two-game skid in the win over MTA (3-10, 1-8 AMCC).
Junior Keith Hazel (Weirton, W.Va./Weir) led team with 20 points including three baskets from beyond the arc. Classmate Antione McCall (Essex, Md./Eastern Tech) registered his third-straight game in double figures after scoring 18 points, backed by a near perfect 10-of-11 performance from the free throw line.
Sophomore Makiha Cooper (Baltimore, Md./Forest Park) scored a season-high 13 points while seniors Jade Belt (Baltimore, Md./Perry Hall) and Dale DeBerry (Upper Marlboro, Md./Riverdale Baptist) chipped in 12 each. Belt led the Bobcats with 10 rebounds.
The Mounties had four players score in double figures led by Ben Murray, who netted a game-high 23 points.
FSU trailed by one at halftime, 40-39, but used a 19-of-27 (70.4%) shooting effort from the field in the second period to help earn the win. Coupled with a 15-of-30 (50.0%) effort from the floor in the first half, and the Bobcats recorded their second-best shooting percentage of the season (59.6%).
The Bobcats also out rebounded the Mounties, 38-19 overall, and 31-10 on the defensive end.
Frostburg State fell behind early as the hosts opened a 10-point lead, 15-5, just under five minutes into action. MTA continued the pressure and pushed its lead to a opening-half high of 13 points, 24-11, with 10:13 remaining.
FSU made a late run, however, using a 14-3 run over the final 4:16 in the first to close the gap to 40-39 at the break.
The first 10 minutes of the second half proved to be much closer as neither team was able to pull away and take more than a six-point lead.
With the Mounties up by four, 70-66 with 9:45 left in the game, Frostburg State put together a 17-3 run over the next four minutes to open a 10-point edge, 83-73.
FSU was able to hold the lead for the rest of the game, shooting 9-of-10 from the foul line over the final three minutes and adding three late baskets to seal the win, 98-83.
The Bobcats return to action on Saturday when they travel to Penn State Behrend at 4:00 pm.