FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Women's Basketball team fell 65-52 at home against West Virginia State on Wednesday evening. 

The game started off in the Yellow Jackets' favor, as they scored an early corner three before sophomore Ayla Hileman responded with a triple of her own, followed by baskets from junior Jenna Muha and sophomore Julie Spinelli that put FSU ahead 7-3. Nearly two minutes passed without either team scoring until WVSU made a pair from the line, however Hileman found Spinelli for a jumper while Muha and the visitors each traded threes to make the score 12-8. With under three minutes left in the period, freshman Ella Sabatos had a putback and Spinelli netted a corner three as WV State ended things with a freebie, ending the quarter with the Bobcats up 17-9. 

FSU got off to a hot start in the second, with redshirt sophomore Mandy Roman and Muha combining to go 3-of-4 at the line and redshirt freshman Sophie Nichols drove for a layup to put FSU up 13. After a Yellow Jacket and-one, Muha found Nichols in the paint for a basket before freshman Zaria Gaskins answered a pair of WVSU free throws with a jumper to stay ahead by double digits. WVSU brought their deficit into single digits with a triple, which Muha instantly responded to with a lay-in, as Nichols split a trip to the line with the lead at 29-19. The last two minutes were all WV State, however, as they kept Frostburg scoreless while hitting a jumper, back-to-back layups, and a triple to suddenly pull within 29-28 at the break.

Bringing their energy into the third quarter, the Yellow Jackets netted a triple, a tip-in, and a free throw between a Spinelli layup to take a 34-31 lead. For the next minute, both teams battled for the lead as Hileman sank a three and Muha found Sabatos in the paint for a layup between a pair of WVSU freebies and a layup before Spinelli took back the lead for Frostburg with a corner three, taking a narrow 39-38 advantage. Just under the five-minute mark, a split trip to the line from WV State brought the score back even before FSU went on a 7-0 run with an and-one from Sabatos before she fed the ball to Muha for a basket, and junior Riley Nelson sank a jump shot to put the score at 46-39. To keep things close, the Yellow Jackets went 3-for-4 at the line between a Sabatos layin and ended the half with a triple, bringing the score to 48-45.

Through the first three minutes of the fourth, WVSU scored nine straight in a pair of baskets, a three, and a trip to the charity stripe to go up by six before Frostburg netted their first basket, as Roman made a steal and landed a lay-in. Her effort would be the only Bobcat field goal through the first nine minutes, as the basket seemed to have a lid on it, while WV State found regular offense. Over a two-minute stretch, the visitors netted three layups, a jumper, and a pair at the line to go up 64-50. Neither side scored for the next four minutes, with the Yellow Jackets splitting at the line and Nelson finding Spinelli to break a six-minute drought. That bucket would be the last for either team, as WVSU came away with the 65-52 victory.

Spinelli had a team-high 14 points while Muha recorded a double-double with 10 points and a season-high 16 rebounds. 

With the loss, FSU drops to 10-11 while WVSU improves to 8-12 on the year. The Bobcats hit the road to face Charleston (WV) on Saturday, February 7, at 2 PM. For more information, please visit frostburgsports.com