FROSTBURG, Md. – With impending snow ahead, the Frostburg State Women's Basketball team fell 78-71 against Fairmont State after losing the lead in the second half on Saturday afternoon. 

The Bobcats started the game quickly, as redshirt sophomore Mandy Roman found classmate Julie Spinelli for an easy three, then a minute later, freshman Zaria Gaskins followed with a jump shot, and Fairmont responded immediately with a layup to make the score 5-2. Frostburg was able to produced stops defensively, holding the Falcons for over three minutes while getting a jumper by Spinelli, a tip-in from junior Jenna Muha, and a layup by sophomore Ayla Hileman to lead 11-2. After Fairmont ended their drought with a steal-and-score, the last five minutes of the first were back and forth, as Roman split a trip to the line, redshirt freshman Sophie Nichols hit a triple, and Muha and junior Riley Nelson each netted buckets as the Falcons had two layups and a three but trailed 19-8. In the last minute and a half, Fairmont got a three-pointer and a floater in the lane to get them within 19-13.

Through the first two minutes of the second quarter, Nichols and senior Caitlyn Sullivan both sank jumpers and the Falcons had a lay-in, making the score 23-15. Muha then came up with a big block and got a putback to fall, as Fairmont did the same at the other end before a two-minute scoreless stretch. The Falcons brought the scoring drought to an end with a layup that Spinell answered with a pair from the charity stripe and a trey, increasing Frostburg's lead to 30-19. Fairmont then split a trip at the line while Gaskins found Nichols for a mid-range jumper and freshman Ella Sabatos for an open layup, increasing the lead up to 14. Gabby Reep then sank a much-needed three for the visitors before getting a steal that led to an and-one as part of an 8-2 run. Sabatos again fed off a Gaskins assist, as the latter went one-for-two on her foul shots and the Falcons drove for a layup to end the half down 37-30.

Hileman started off the third quarter with three triples in the first four minutes, with assists from Gaskins and Roman between a couple of Falcon layups, while Spinelli netted a jumper to put the lead back at 14. Fairmont then ramped up their defensive pressure, holding holding Frostburg to just two points across the next five minutes. Over that stretch, they went on a 16-0 run while forcing six turnovers, flipping the deficit into a 55-50 lead. With 30 seconds to go, Hileman fired a pass to Muha that she was able to finish plus a foul, putting them only down by two as the Bobcats entered the fourth quarter down 55-53.

The final frame began with an early Falcon lay-in followed by two and a half minutes of scoreless play before the visitors resumed their momentum with a pair of freebies and a three to take a nine-point lead. The Bobcats brought themselves back within one from an 8-0 run, with Muha netting a free throw and an and-one and Spinelli getting two baskets, bringing the score to 62-61. After going over three minutes without scoring, Fairmont had two layups either side of one from Muha before their defense stepped up again, as back-to-back turnovers added two baskets and a freebie to go up 71-63 with 90 seconds to go. Both teams would see much of the rest of their offense coming from the line, as Hileman, Nichols, and Spinelli went a combined five for six, while the Falcons went six-for-eight. Still out of arms' length, Nichols made one three with seven seconds left, but ultimately the Falcons came out with the 78-71 win.

Spinelli led the Bobcats with 18 points, as Muha had her second consecutive double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Nichols (14) and Hileman (12) each reached double-digit figures, as Gaskins had a game-high nine assists and Roman tacked on 10 boards.

With the loss, Frostburg drops to 9-9 as Fairmont improves to 15-3. The Bobcats are back on the road Wednesday, January 28, as they face Glenville State at 5:30 PM. For more information, please visit frostburgsports.com