FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg Women's Basketball team hosted Shepherd on Saturday afternoon for the final game of the Jim Crawley Conference Challenge, coming away 81-61 winners.
The Bobcats opened up with two quick layups from freshman Emilee Weakley to take a 4-0 lead over the Rams less than a minute into the game. Junior Rhiana Hall would open up her account with multiple buckets, putting in nine first quarter points, including the final four of the period to take a 21-15 FSU lead into the second.
Hall would keep the baskets coming in the second quarter, adding a pair of buckets to take her total to 13 points on the game. Frostburg then found their shooting touch, as sophomore Harley Herndon, Weakley, and Hall all drained three-pointers in a two-minute span to grow the lead to 42-29. Senior Ciara Thomas added a steal for an easy bucket and a free throw in the final two minutes to go into halftime up 45-29.
Junior MacKenzie Freeze opened the third with a jumper off the bounce, then Weakley continued her dominance, scoring the next 10 Bobcat points and ballooning the lead to 57-34. Senior Maggie Sharp knocked in a pair of free throws and drained a triple at the end of the quarter, which was punctuated by another Weakley three, taking the teams into the fourth with FSU up 65-49.
Graduate Shelby Funchess opened the fourth quarter by grabbing an offensive rebound and converting on a three-point play after being fouled in the paint on her made basket. She followed that up with a jumper, as well as converting another pair of free throws after being fouled once again to extend the lead to 72-52. Herndon and senior Arianna Briggs-Hall nailed a pair of jumpers midway through the period as the Bobcats looked to have the result in hand. Freshman Carine Pinkney would see her first action of her collegiate career, dropping in a jumper from just outside the paint after a strong drive. Junior Olivia Ramsey put the icing on the cake with a tough bucket while getting fouled to end the scoring at 81-61.
Weakley finished the game with a game-high 27 points and 11 rebounds for her second straight double-double. Her scoring efforts were followed by Hall, who had 18 points to go along with seven boards and a pair of assists. Thomas and Funchess led the defensive effort with four steals and three blocks, respectively, as both also tied Herndon for a team-high three assists each.
At the conclusion of the game, the Jim Crawley Conference Challenge All-Tournament Team was named, featuring Iyahnna Williams of Alderson Broaddus, Peyton Alazaus of Pitt-Johnstown, Peyton Grant of Shepherd, and Hall and Weakley for Frostburg, with the latter being named tournament MVP.
The win was the first of Head Coach Jenna Eckleberry's Frostburg career in her first season at the helm of the program.
With the victory, the Bobcats move to 1-1 on the season, while Shepherd falls to 0-2. Make sure to catch the Bobcats back in action as they host Lock Haven on Wednesday, November 16 for a 5:30PM tip-off. For more information and updates, please visit frostburgsports.com.
