Women's Basketball Rallies in Final Minutes for Comeback Road Victory Over WVWC

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – The Frostburg State Women's Basketball team used a huge fourth quarter to take a 66-61 road victory over West Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday evening. 
 
Wesleyan got the game rolling with a three from deep, jumping in front 5-0 as Frostburg was cold to start the game.  FSU couldn't get their shots to fall, until senior Taylor Smith went 1-for-2 from the free throw line after the six minute mark to put Frostburg on the board.  WVWC knocked down another jumper to add to their lead, until a free throw from senior Emilee Weakley, followed by a layup in the paint from sophomore Alanna Tate put the game at 7-4.  Wesleyan responded with a layup of their own, before springing a 10-3 run to end the quarter up 17-7. 
 
Both teams saw a slow start to the second, with neither squad hitting a shot until the eight minute mark when Smith nailed a trey from behind the arc.  Weakley provided a tip-in on FSU's next trip down the court, cutting the game to 17-12.  WVWC finally got their first points of the quarter at 5:46 with a jumper, as Weakley answered with a quick layup in the paint. Wesleyan scored eight unanswered points for a span of three minutes, as Frostburg struggled to put the ball in the basket.  Freshman Julie Spinelli broke the ice with a perfect trip at the charity stripe, moving the game to 27-16.  Smith again connected from deep to bring FSU within below double digits, as neither team added anymore points to their score in the final minute, sitting the game at a 27-19 score at the break. 
 
FSU came out of the break ready to roll, with Weakley and Smith providing the first five points of the half to cut Frostburg's deficit to three.  WVWC laid in their first points of the half right before the seven minute mark, rallying for seven consecutive points.  Smith put up a tough bucket in the paint to get the game back within eight, but another jumper from Wesleyan saw the game at 36-26.  Weakley was able to knock down a three, but WVWC responded with four points of their own.  Smith again swished a triple, putting the game at an eight-point differential, but once again Wesleyan was right there again with a jumper of their own for a 42-32 score.  Tate and Smith both earned a basket to end the quarter, sending the game into the fourth with WVWC ahead 45-36. 
 
Freshman Ayla Hileman got on the board with a jumper to open the fourth, but again Wesleyan took the next two baskets.  Tate swapped buckets with Wesleyan, scoring the next six points for Frostburg for a 51-44 contest.  Denying anything that FSU put together, WVWC connected on a three of their own, again extending their lead to 10.  Senior Jasmine Johnson was credited with two big blocks on the other end to keep Wesleyan from adding to their lead, as both teams stayed silent for a whole minute.  WVWC was able to break through for a 56-44 game, but back-to-back threes from Weakley and Spinelli, when Frostburg needed it most, brought the game to 56-50 with 4:44 left in regulation.  Wesleyan then sunk two free throws, but another triple from Weakley sat the game at a five-point margin.  Tate exchanged points with WVWC, but a three from Smith right under three minutes sparked a desperate 10-0 run from Frostburg that put them in front 65-61 with 20 seconds left.  Weakley, Johnson, and Smith combined for 10 points in three minutes, while FSU was able to keep Wesleyan scoreless for the rest of the game.  With 12 seconds left, WVWC was forced to foul, sending Smith to the line for two, where she added one more point to FSU's score, allowing Frostburg to take the game 66-61 in the final minutes. 
 
Weakley led all scorers with a double-double of 23 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 7-for-15 from the floor and 4-for-8 from behind the arc.  Smith was right behind her with 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists, shooting 7-for-9 from the field and 5-for-6 from the three-point line.  Tate was the last one in double digits for Frostburg with 12 points, shooting 6-for-7 from the floor, while Spinelli grabbed nine rebounds and Johnson also saw six rebounds, along with four assists and four blocks. 
 
With the win, Frostburg moves to 11-6 on the season, while Wesleyan goes to 10-5.  FSU next stays on the road for a tough contest with Fairmont State on Saturday, January 25 with tipoff set for 2 PM.  For more information and updates, please visit frostburgsports.com.