FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Women's Basketball team dropped their home contest to West Virginia Wesleyan by a score of 55-52 on Wednesday evening.
WVWC won the jump ball and took the first shot of the game. In response, graduate Maggie Sharp found sophomore Emilee Weakley up the court for an open right-handed layup and the first two points of the game. Wesleyan got their first basket as Charlotte Sherrill hit a jump shot for a tie game at 2-2. WVWC forced FSU to turn the ball over, resulting in an open layup and a 4-2 lead. Frostburg tied the game at four a piece, as freshman Alana Tate took the ball coast-to-coast for two. Next play down the court, WVWC turned the ball over and sent Tate to the line where she earned FSU the lead. Moments later Shelby Genes hit a three, regaining WVWC's lead 7-5. FSU put some subs in, and immediately freshman Grace Middleton was hit with a pass from Weakley for a layup and another tie game at 7-7. Genes gave Wesleyan another lead, going up strong in the paint for a 9-7 game. With under a minute, junior Harley Herndon hit a free throw, putting FSU down one 9-8 going into the second quarter.
It took a minute and a half for either team to score to start the second. Freshman Jenna Muha hit a fifteen-foot jumper to put FSU back on top 10-9. To go up by three, junior Jasmine Johnson scored her first layup of the game, adding to Frostburg's lead 12-9. To keep the momentum going, Weakley hit a three to continue the increase of FSU's lead. Three minutes went by where both teams were held scoreless. To stop the drought, WVWC broke the press of FSU for a layup. Muha was fouled sending her to the line knocking down two for a 17-11 score. After a made free throw by Wesleyan, Middleton found freshman Jenna Liska for a basket and a 19-12 game. WVWC went on a four-point scoring run to end the half, as Frostburg kept a 19-16 lead heading into the break.
Fifteen seconds into the second half, Sharp hit a three to put FSU up six 22-16. Wesleyan capitalized on back-to-back possessions to get within two, 22-20. Baskets were traded as FSU still had the 24-22 advantage. A six-point run left WVWC on top 28-24. Following the run, senior Ciara Thomas went coast-to-coast to bring Frostburg now within two, 28-26. Wesleyan scored the next eight points, unanswered, taking a 36-26 lead heading into the fourth and final quarter.
Again, Sharp hit the first points of the quarter for a 36-28 game. Genes returned the favor with a layup for WVWC and a 10 point lead. A missed FSU layup resulted in a huge three pointer from Sydney Baird, increasing Wesleyan's lead to 41-28. Adding to WVWC's score, Genes was found wide open for a layup and a 43-28 game. After a minute, Weakley was fouled in the open court and sent to the line, knocking down two to bring the game to 43-30. On the next play, Middleton stole the ball at half court, took it to the rim and got fouled, sinking two free throws. Thomas would secure a rebound and throw it up court to Middleton, who was sent to the line once again to make it a 43-33 game. Three more points were added to WVWC's score putting them up 46-33. On the next play, Tate earned a steal and assist, as she found Weakley up court for a layup, bringing the score to 46-35. Off a steal from junior MacKenzie Freeze, Weakley grabbed an offensive rebound that sent her to the line to knock down two for a 46-37 score. Tate found another steal putting her at the line, to bring FSU within seven, 46-39. Coming out of a WVWC called timeout, Middleton knocked down one from behind the arc to bring Frostburg within four.
The final two minutes were intense on both ends of the court. With thirteen seconds left, Freeze sunk a free throw allowing FSU to get within one, 48-47. An immediate foul sent Wesleyan to the line, going two-for-two to go up by three, 50-47. FSU called the last timeout of the game and advanced the ball. Freeze found the ball at her fingertips, as she was knocked down, sending her to two from the line 50-49. FSU was forced to foul, allowing WVWC to add one more point to their lead for a 51-49 game. FSU fouled once more, allowing WVWC to go up 53-49. Weakley had a clutch three pointer with seconds left, bringing Frostburg within one, but time was not in FSU's favor, as another foul sent Wesleyan to the line once more to add to their lead, as time winded out with WVWC coming out on top 55-52.
Weakley led FSU in points with 16, as Muha pulled down six rebounds, and Tate finished with a team-high three assists and two steals.
With the conclusion of the game, Frostburg falls to an overall record of 9-8 and a conference record of 6-4, while West Virginia Wesleyan moves to an overall record of 3-11 and a conference record of 1-9. FSU stays at home to host No. 10 Fairmont State on Saturday, January 27 at 2 PM.
