FROSTBURG, Md. – No. 13 Fairmont State used a second half comeback to defeat the Frostburg State Men's Basketball team 95-88 on Saturday.
 
Prior to the game, Frostburg honored its four graduating members in graduate Eric Sondberg, seniors Koby Baptiste and JayShaun Freeman, and redshirt senior Naphtali Regilus, as each round out their Bobcat careers.
 
While the Fighting Falcons scored the opening basket, Frostburg got off to a quick start after a pair of Baptiste buckets either side of a Regilus three, with the latter also hitting a smooth jumper to take an early 9-2 advantage. Freeman put in his first points on a long two, but the next couple minutes featured strong Fairmont defense, helping the visitors pull back to an 11-11 tie. Baptiste then traded threes with the Falcons, while sophomore Vilius Slanina hit a pair of free throws, but Fairmont was able to make another couple stops while making three buckets to go up 20-16.
 
Sophomore Zane McCarty was able to hit Baptiste for another trey, with the latter then making two of three at the line and being found again by redshirt freshman Blake Burrows under the rim. After a Falcon turnover, Baptiste turned provider to freshman Christopher Meakin for his first points of the day, with he and Freeman then combining for three freebies and a 28-23 lead. Fairmont responded with a make from deep but lay-ins from Meakin and freshman Trey Simmons kept the Bobcat offense going, leading 36-28 after the former made another pair at the charity stripe.
 
Freeman hit another pull-up jumper followed by junior Chase Whippen tacking on a trey, but that would be Frostburg's final field goal of the last three minutes. A pair of misses and a turnover gave the Falcons extra possessions, which they turned into a pair of free throws and a fastbreak layup to cut the deficit to 42-39 at the half.
 
Both teams caught fire on offense out of the break, with only one missed field goal across the first two and a half minutes. Fairmont started the scoring, with the Bobcats getting back-to-back threes from Sondberg and Regilus and Simmons adding a drive to the line to maintain a 50-46 advantage. Once more, the Falcons turned their defense into offense, holding Frostburg without a field goal for over two minutes while converting a pair of and-ones, getting a steal-and-score, and hitting a three while being fouled for a four-point play and a 58-51 lead.
 
Freeman tried to get the Bobcats going again with a layup off a Whippen pass, then hit a three off a find from Baptiste, while Simmons got to the paint and got fouled to pull within two. Whippen was then found by McCarty for an easy score, while Meakin rose highest for an offensive putback and McCarty hit a baseline pull-up to lead 64-62. Fairmont didn't let the slight run deter them, coming back down with a three and a split trip to the line, while Meakin again played bully ball to tie the game at 66-all.
 
Within a two-minute span, the Falcons had made a pair from beyond the arc and went four-of-four at the line, with Meakin providing the next six Frostburg points, as the visitors regained a 78-72 advantage. Sondberg made the most of his free throws, but back-to-back Fairmont buckets kept them at arm's length. Freeman launched from deep while Meakin split another chance at the line to get within four, but a layup and triple from the Falcons kept them ahead 87-78.
 
Inside the final minute and a half, Baptiste converted and old-fashioned play then hit one of the newer variety, followed by a steal and dunk to suddenly get within three. The late offense wouldn't have an effect however, as Fairmont made each of their free throws late, with Whippen ending the contest on a late layup for a 95-88 final.
 
Baptiste led the Bobcats with an all-round game of 23 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals, leading or tying for the team lead in each category. Meakin enjoyed a career-high 18 points, while Freeman added 15 as both tied Baptiste with six boards apiece.
 
With the loss, Frostburg drops to 12-16 on the year, while Fairmont improves to 24-4. Both teams now advance to the MEC Tournament, where the Bobcats will enter as the seven seed and face Point Park, the ten seed, in a de facto play-in game on Wednesday, March 5 at 6 p.m. All tournament coverage can be found at Championship Central, including ticket purchases and live stream information.