FROSTBURG, Md. – In the first game of the 2016 portion of its schedule, the Frostburg State men's basketball team held off a late surge from Mary Washington for a 76-72 win, Saturday.
 
The Bobcats (3-8, 1-3) collected their second win in three games by building a 13-point cushion just before the midway point of the second half and surviving a late charge for the visiting Eagles (6-5, 2-2).
 
Sophomore Tyler Michael led both teams with a season-high 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, while seniors Nick Smoot and James Peters added 16 and 11, respectively.
 
FSU used a 12-1 run early in the second to build a 48-35 lead and moments later, sophomore Zachary Coalmon thundered home a dunk to keep the Bobcat edge at 13, 50-37.
 
Mary Washington began to slowly navigate its way back into it and cut its deficit to one, 66-65 with 2:25 showing.
 
Michael and Peters knocked in two free throws each and Frostburg built its lead back to five, 70-65 at 1:36. With 48 seconds left, UMW's Mark Madison hit a three-pointer that brought Mary Washington to within two, 72-70 but Frostburg sophomore Dalton Gaus hit two free throws and a dunk as time expired.
 
Michael added a game-high four steals to go along with five rebounds. Smoot handed out nine assists for the second time in four games, while Peters scored in double figures for the third-straight game.
 
Frostburg shot 43.9 percent from the field and survived 10 three-pointers from Mary Washington behind 20 made free throws.
 
TJ Jones led the Eagles with 21 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Mark Madison scored 15.
 
All six lead changes and all five ties occurred in the first half as Frostburg emerged with a 31-26 lead at intermission. Michael knocked down his first three-pointer of the game with 8:48 showing on clock to give the Bobcats their largest lead of the opening half, 23-16.
 
FSU returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts Marymount at 8:00 pm.