FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Women's Basketball team snapped their three-game losing streak with an important 80-69 home victory against Concord on Saturday afternoon. 

After winning the tip-off, the Mountain Lions quickly earned the first points of the game with a jump shot, as a minute and a half later, the Bobcats scored when freshman Zaria Gaskins found sophomore Ayla Hileman for a corner three. Another two minutes went by without a score from either side, then sophomore Julie Spinelli took over FSU's offense, scoring their next six on a pair of layups either side of a trip to the line, stretching out to a 9-5 lead. CU responded with Olivia Ziolkowski going 4-for-4 at the line for the visitors, bringing the score to a 9-9 tie with four minutes to go. Another three from Spinelli put FSU back ahead, while Concord responded with a baske before the final two and a half minutes went by with just one score, as junior Jenna Muha put back an offensive rebound, ending the frame with Frostburg ahead 14-11. 

The Bobcats' defense came out strong to start the second, holding the Mountain Lions without a score over the first 2:20. Offensively, Spinelli started things out with a pair from the line before sophomore Laekyn Flinn had two steals, one she drove through the lane herself for a layup, and the other she fed to Spinelli for another basket, while Hileman swiped a ball of her own and fed Flinn to quickly increase the lead to double digits at 22-11. Ziolkowski got CU on the board with a mid-range jumper but FSU continued their ball pressure, as Gaskins stole the ball that led to a Flinn floater, then Nichols converted a pair from the charity stripe and Muha netted a jumper, increasing the advantage to 28-13. Having gone through another three-minute scoring drought, Concord went on a quick 7-0 run through and and-one, a lay-in and a pair of freebies, cutting the deficit down to eight with four minutes on the clock. Spinelli broke up the momentum by splitting a trip to the line, while Nichols passed to Muha in the paint and Spinelli drained a trey off a feed from redshirt sophomore Riley Nelson to go back up by 14. The Mountain Lions were able to settle themselves before the end of the half, netting a jumper and back-to-back lay-ins to get back within 34-26 heading into the break.

CU tried to keep up the comeback to start the third, hitting a jumper then a pair of free throws either side of a Spinelli bucket, getting them the score to 36-30 after the first minute. After getting a turnover and a defensive stop, Nichols brought the lead back up to nine with a corner three on a Hileman assist, while Spinelli fed Gaskins from the right wing to go back up double digits at 42-32. Out of a Concord turnover, Gaskins nabbed an offensive board and got fouled on the follow-up attempt, converting both at the line, however a Mountain Lion triple got them back to within single digits with six to go in the period. Once again, the visitors missed a chance to get closer, as Gaskins led a fastbreak that allowed Hileman to fire a great pass into freshman Ella Sabatos for an easy bucket in the paint, bringing the score to 46-35. The Mountain Lions landed a layup from Abbie Smith but wouldn't score again for another three minutes, as the Bobcats kept tacking on with Nichols going perfect at the line and Flinn sinking a basket after being found by Gaskins, making the lead 13 with a 50-37 score. Within the last two minutes, both teams traded baskets, as Spinelli and Flinn netted buckets in response to a pair by CU before the visitors ended the half with a buzzer-beating three from distance, bringing the score to 54-44.

After a pair of shots went off the mark for Concord to start the fourth, Muha took over Frostburg's offense, sinking an open three from the top of the arc before pulling up from mid-range, then spotting up from the corner for her second trey and an 18-point advantage. It took the Mountain Lions nearly three minutes to score, as Smith put back a rebound, but Muha still had an answer, bullying her way in for an old-fashioned three-point play and a 65-46 score. After a CU triple, Spinelli drove the lane while Gaskins found Muha down low before the under-five media timeout. Over a two-minute stretch, both offenses were clicking, as Hileman and Spinelli each made a pair at the line, while Concord regularly got to the rim, adding an and-one and a make from behind the arc, however still trailed 73-58. Smith then came up with a block that led to a layup, steal, and another layup, with the Mountain Lions trying to pull off a miracle down by 11 with a minute and a half to go. On FSU's next possession, Nichols landed a much-needed triple, while CU turned the ball over on their next possession. The next five points all came at the free throw line, as Gaskins went 2-for-3 while the Mountain Lions added a pair. Smith made a late lay-in followed by Cadence Blackburn hitting a three with nine seconds left, but it was too little, too late, as Nelson split a late trip to the line, giving the Bobcats the 80-69 win. 

Spinelli led all scorers with 25 points, missing just one shot from the floor and going 7-for-8 at the free throw line. Muha tallied 19 points and had a team-high eight rebounds, while Nichols (10) and Flinn (10) each recorded double-digit figures and Hileman dished out five assists without committing a turnover. 

With the win, FSU improves to 10-10 as the Mountain Lions fall to 12-7 on the year. The Bobcats are back at home to face West Virginia State for the United in Red game on Wednesday, February 4, at 5:30 pm. For more information, please visit frostburgsports.com.