FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State men's basketball team hung tough with West Liberty for much of the first half but eventually the 16^th-ranked West Liberty Hilltoppers pulled away for a 117-74 win, Wednesday.
 
The Bobcats, playing without their leading scorer Daniel Alexander on the night, settle at 10-15 overall and 7-12 in the Mountain East.
 
Sophomore Torrin Stephens led the starting lineup with a career high 19 points and eight rebounds. Senior Terry Kenner came off the bench to score 14.
 
A pair of Kenner three-pointers kept the Bobcats within striking distance in the opening five minutes in the first half. His first trey pulled FSU with within 12-8, while his second triple made the score 17-13 at the first media timeout.
 
Layups from junior Desmond Rene at 14:36 and another one from junior Joe Adedayo at 13:51 pulled the Bobcats to within four on both occasions. Kenner connected on a jumper at 13:03 that pulled the hosts to within two at 21-19 and Adedayo hit a jumper in transition on the next possession to keep FSU within two at 23-21.
 
Kenner's hot start continued at 10:15 as a deep jumper pulled Frostburg to within three, 28-25.
 
The Hilltoppers started to distance themselves from the host Bobcats with a 12-0 scoring jolt late in the first half. Stephens hit four foul shots that ended the run and Rene capped the opening stanza with two more foul shots to set the intermission score at 59-43.
 
The Hilltoppers slowly began to pull away in the second half. Will Yoakum hit a three-pointer at 17:49 as WLU led by 20, 65-45. The visitor lead reached 30 on a pair of Dalton Bolon free throws at 12:42. West Liberty reached 100 points on the scoreboard at 5:10 when Bryce Butler hit a fast break layup.
 
Bolon led the Hilltoppers with 28 points and eight rebounds, while Yoakum scored 25.
 
The Bobcats return to the court on Saturday as they host Wheeling at 4:00 pm on senior day.