SALEM, W. Va. – The Frostburg State Women's Basketball team defeated Salem by a final score of 81-54 on the road Wednesday afternoon.
 
FSU began the game with a pair of defensive stops before freshman Ella Sabatos got the scoring started with a layup. Two and a half minutes went by before the Tigers answered, then junior Jenna Muha got on the board with a hard-fought lay-in for a 4-2 lead. Just after the midway point of the quarter, Frostburg got themselves some breathing space, as sophomore Julie Spinelli hit freshman Zaria Gaskins in the left corner for a spot-up three, then the latter got a steal and found sophomore Ayla Hileman for a breakaway score.
 
Gaskins tacked on a driving layup then Muha followed with one of her own as the lead built up to 13-2. SU was able to break a near-six-minute scoring drought with a three then traded baskets with sophomore Laekyn Flinn. As the clock hit zero, redshirt sophomore Riley Nelson launched a half-court heave that beat the buzzer and fell through the net for an 18-7 first quarter lead.
 
The Bobcats extended the advantage in the opening minutes of the second, as redshirt sophomore Mandy Roman hit a jumper from the free throw line, redshirt freshman Sophie Nichols nailed a triple and split a trip at the line and Sabatos and Flinn both got to the rim for a 28-9 advantage. Salem's first make of the period was a three, as they then traded baskets with Flinn before another hit from behind the arc brought the Tigers back within 31-17.
 
The only score for the next two minutes came from Spinelli getting to the line, then each team traded an offensive puback and Hileman answered an SU trey with a mid-range jumper to stay ahead by 15. Spinelli then converted another pair at the charity stripe while Muha bullied in for a basket while Salem answered on back-to-back threes. In the final minute, the Tigere got to the rim while Muha made two more freebies to go into the half up 43-30.
 
Coming out of the break, SU cut the deficit down to 10 with their seventh deep make of the game, while Hileman and Sabatos split trips to the line and the hosts hit back with another triple for a 45-36 score after two minutes. Nichols helped restore some order with a pair of treys on assists by Muha and Hileman, with the latter adding a floater in the lane to go up by 17. FSU locked in defensively, holding the Tigers without a score until there were three minutes left in the quarter, while Spinelli and Gaskins added scores for a 21-point advantage. After Salem hit back-to-back layups, Gaskins was found by Spinelli again from behind the arc, while Nichols, Nelson, and Muha combined for four free throws to go into the fourth up 64-41.
 
Muha then opened the final frame with a jumper and a tip-in, as it took SU nearly five minutes to start their offense after Roman had gotten a steal-and-score. Hileman then answered a Salem lay-in with a deep make to lead 73-46. The Tigers were able to score back-to-back buckets, then senior Sa'Niyah Council was found by freshman Karlee Hawkins for three, with the latter then grabbing an offensive board and splitting a pair of trips to the line. With 90 seconds to go, SU made another from behind the arc, while freshman Josie Cross came up with a steal that led to Hawkins knocking down one of her own and making the final 81-54.
 
Muha led all scorers with 15 points, also adding 14 boards for a double-double. Nichols (12), Hileman (10), and Gaskins (10) all reached double-digit scoring, while Spinelli added eight boards, a pair of assists, and a block.
 
With the win, Frostburg improves to 12-13 on the year, while Salem drops to 3-21. FSU will return to Bobcat Arena on Saturday, February 21 to face Point Park at 2 p.m. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.