HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Frostburg State women's basketball team dropped a hard fought 81-70 non-conference contest at Eastern Mennonite, Monday afternoon.
The loss drops the Bobcats to 4-7 overall on the season and snapped a three-game winning streak. The Royals improve to 6-4 with their second-consecutive win and fifth win in their last six contests.
Frostburg led for much of the opening quarter of play and held a four-point cushion on four occasions. Sophomore Victoria Diggs opened the scoring for Frostburg with a three-pointer just 38 seconds into action. Moments later, Frostburg led 8-4 thanks to another three-pointer from Diggs.
Senior Kirsten Rayner hit a jumper with 1:19 to play in the first quarter as Frostburg led 20-16 before EMU scored the final five points of the stanza for a 21-20 lead after one.
FSU recaptured the lead early in the second when junior Alexis Welch hit a three-pointer for a 23-21 lead. The Royals answered with a three-pointer of their own for a 24-23 advantage and they began to slowly push their lead to as many as nine points, 38-29, just inside of five minutes until halftime.
Frostburg closed the gap at intermission after ending the first half on a 7-0 run. Freshman Amanda Emory scored five of the seven points, including a three-pointer with eight seconds left. EMU led 41-38 at the break.
Emory opened the second half as she closed the first with a three-pointer just over a minute into the third quarter that knotted the game at 43-43. On Frostburg's ensuing possession, Welch made a layup that gave it a two-point lead, 45-43.
EMU tied the score at 45-45 at 8:11, but Emory again handed the Bobcats a two-point lead, 47-45, with a layup at 6:48.
Eastern Mennonite's Jess Washington hit a jumper that tied things at 47 and she hit a free throw at 5:54 for a 48-47 lead. The Royals never trailed again and led by five, 58-53, after three quarters of play.
Frostburg pulled the score to within one point twice in the fourth quarter. Senior Kache Fields hit a jumper that made the score 58-57 just 59 seconds into the frame and at 6:51 junior Sharyce Warren knocked down a three-pointer that closed FSU's deficit to 64-63.
The Royals increased their lead to 10, 75-65, with an 11-2 run over the next 4:28. Rayner ended the EMU run with a layup with 1:10 showing and Warren hit a three-pointer with 34 seconds left that pulled the Bobcats to within eight, 78-70.
Eastern Mennonite made three free throws inside the final 30 seconds for the 81-70 win.
For the second-straight contest, Frostburg connected on eight three-pointers. Frostburg also made two baskets from the floor than the hosts, but EMU made up the difference by shooting 30-of-43 at the foul line.
Diggs and Emory tied for the Bobcat lead with 15 points each. Rayner added 14, while senior Kache Fields scored six points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists.
Chloe Roach led Eastern Mennonite with 23 points, while Washington added 13.
Frostburg jumps back into CAC play this Wednesday when it hosts St. Mary's at 6:00 pm.
