FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Men's Basketball team dropped their home game to West Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday night by a final score of 88-71.
 
It took two and a half minutes for FSU to get on the board, as redshirt sophomore Justin Roseme fed a great pass inside to junior Sebastian Gahse for an easy dunk. WVWC kept up their defense, with that being the only made basket for Frostburg until Roseme hit a three after the first media timeout for an 8-5 score. Wesleyan responded with a 12-3 run with a couple made threes either side of another Roseme triple that eventually led to a 20-8 advantage. Junior JayShaun Freeman broke FSU's offense out of its drought with a trey of his own, then Roseme went back-to-back from behind the arc with sophomore Dylan Long, cutting the deficit to 23-19.
 
WVWC was able to build their lead back up after a couple of turnovers and missed shots, moving ahead 30-19 after an and-one by Dieker Padrino. Junior Koby Baptiste scored a couple of tough buckets in the lane to stay within single digits, then freshman Malcolm Day got a putback to go and Roseme hit his fourth three of the half to pull back within 34-28. Weselyan was able to quickly snatch momentum back, as Day was whistled for a shooting foul and technical foul, giving WVWC four free throws, which were all converted. Looking for a spark from the bench, graduate Antonio Carlisle knocked down a trey off a feed from senior Sean Brown, Jr., then freshman Vilius Slanina got to the line in the last 15 seconds to make it a 42-33 halftime score.
 
Carlisle continued his hot streak into the second half, scoring the first five for FSU on a three and pull-up jumper at the free throw line, but WVWC matched him on each possession, maintaining an eight-point lead. A triple from the visitors gave them a double-digit advantage that they wouldn't relinquish until Roseme went two-of-two at the line and senior Jaylon Johnson and Baptiste both scored in the lane for a 55-46 score.
 
All of Frostburg's offense over the next couple minutes ran through Roseme, who hit another three then soared for a rebound and lay-in, though Wesleyan still held firm up 62-51. Johnson provided some assistance on another pull-up mid-ranger then was found by Freeman for a triple, with Roseme following with his sixth three of the night, pulling within eight. Five unanswered from Wesleyan was hit back with Baptiste getting a steal and making a free throw, then three straight baskets from freshman Zane McCarty, Johnson, and Roseme to get within 74-67 in the last five minutes. FSU had open looks late, but couldn't knock them down, as a late Baptiste layup was the only made field goal in the final 4:31, while Wesleyan had five lay-ins down the stretch to pull away 88-71 winners.
 
Roseme led all scorers with a career-high 26 points, as he has now reached double figures in each of his last four games, while also pulling in a team-high five rebounds. Baptiste joined him in the scoring column with 11, while Carlisle's eight were his most in a Frostburg uniform.
 
With the loss, FSU falls to 2-15 overall, while WVWC improves to 2-15. Frostburg returns to Bobcat Arena on Saturday, January 27 to face Fairmont State at 4 p.m. information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.