FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Men's Basketball team scored in triple for the first time this season, defeating Wheeling by a score of 104-99 on Saturday evening for their first victory of 2024.

Frostburg won the jump and got off to a 3-0 lead as junior JayShaun Freeman hit one from behind the line off a pass from freshman Zane McCarty. Freshman Logan Lewis added a basket and an assist to his stat sheet, propelling FSU to lead 8-2. Marcus Johnson tried to get WU going with a layup, but Freeman answered back with a crossover jumper in the paint for a 10-4 lead.

Down the court Johnson caught the ball outside the arc for a good three, then a scoreless minute dragged on until Lewis secured an offensive rebound and hit a jump shot 12-7. Johnson continued to supply the Cardinal offense, but McCarty and Lewis combined for five points compared to Wheeling's two, pushing the advantage to 17-11. Redshirt-sophomore Justin Roseme grabbed a pass from McCarty and knocked down his first three points of the game, as FSU was firing on all cylinders to a 20-12 lead.

After Roseme knocked down a free throw, WU added five in a row to get within four, but that didn't shake Frostburg. Senior Jaylon Johnson knocked down a three off the assist from senior Jaylin Albury, restoring a seven-point lead. Wheeling hit back from downtown, but junior Sebastian Gahse saw his first two points of the game with a slam dunk off sophomore Dylan Long's assist to energize the home crowd. the Cardinals surged all the way back to within three with eight minutes left, but freshman Malcolm Day halted the comeback with a trey. Still pushing forward, WU's Tee Harris Jr. hit a pair of lay-ins that tied the game 31-31. 

Junior Robby Williams nailed a huge three, then Freeman came up with a steal and score to go back ahead by five. The sides went back-and-forth, with Wheeling once again working back to a tie game, but Lewis converted an and-one to put FSU back ahead. After a Johnson three put the score at 43-42, Freeman drew a three-point foul that ended up sparking a Bobcat run. After knocking down all of his at the line, Lewis hit a smooth jumper and Day followed up with a rainbow triple to lead 51-42. The Cardinals got back-to-back layups in the final minute and a half, with Freeman ending the scoring with a pull-up basket to head to the locker rooms with Frostburg ahead 53-46. 

Wheeling came out and scored the first two points of the half 53-48, to which Freeman put up a few points of his own, going three for four from the line to maintain an eight-point lead. McCarty the swiped the ball and recorded another assist, finding Long down court to slam the ball in the hoop for a double-digit advantage. Day came down and hit a three after WU went two-for-two from the line and had a dunk of their own, keeping the Bobcats in control 61-53.

Following missed shots, turnovers and a lot of action in center court, Day went two-for-two from the line, followed by a Roseme mid-range bucket. Day then had the highlight of the contest, getting a steal and driving the length of the court, throwing down over his defender while drawing a foul in the process, putting the score at 68-56. Roseme, Freeman, and Lewis helped FSU pull forward with their lead, which grew to 75-59 with 11 minutes to play.

Day scored FSU's next five points, then the sides traded back-and-forth, with Long, Williams, and Lewis combining for eight points and an 88-73 lead. Neither team seemed to miss from the floor, with another rally going for the next two minutes, as Lewis, Freeman, and Day all made shots to stay ahead 95-80. In the final five minutes, Wheeling was able to get stops defensively, while also getting their offense to click, as a Johnson layup brought them all the way within five with two minutes to go. McCarty helped calm some nerves with a pair of perfect trips to the line, keeping it a two-possession game at 102-97 with 30 seconds left. The Cardinals missed a chance to get within two on a missed three, as Lewis iced the game with 18 seconds left for the final 104-97 score.

Four Bobcats scored in double-digits through Lewis (22), Freeman (21), Day (20) and Roseme (12). Day also led the team with six rebounds, while Lewis tallied four assists. FSU shot 48 percent from three, 52 percent from the field and 71 percent from the line in reaching their highest scoring total since also scoring 104 against Glenville State in 2021. Additionally, the 13 three-pointers made are tied for the fifth-most in a single game in program history. 

With the conclusion of the game, Frostburg moves to an overall record of 2-12 and a conference record of 2-6, while Wheeling falls to an overall record of 5-8 and a conference record of 2-5. The Bobcats are back in action on Wednesday, January 17 at 7:30 pm as they take on Notre Dame (Ohio). For more information visit frostburgsports.com.