Women's Basketball Powers Past Senators in Senior Day Victory

FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Women's Basketball team defeated Davis and Elkins by a score of 98-66 on Wednesday night in the team's home finale of 2023-24.

Before the game, FSU recognized three seniors in Maggie Sharp, Ciara Thomas and MacKenzie Freeze as they round out their Bobcat careers.

On the first play of the game, Sharp blocked a shot on defense, then at the other end, freshman Jenna Muha earned herself a three-point play for a quick lead. A jumper from D&E put them on the board before Sharp knocked down her first three of the game, with the Senators adding two more 6-4. The Bobcat defense locked down, holding Davis & Elkins without a field goal for four minutes, while on offense sophomore Emilie Weakley took the ball from baseline to baseline for a score, followed by Sharp knocking down another three at 11-5. After defensive stops, Weakley had herself a three-point play, then knocked one down from behind the arc and Muha put away a lay-in to grow the lead all the way to 19-5. D&E finally broke their drought with a layup, but Muha answered with a put-back make, with Davis & Elkins then hitting their first triple for a 21-10 score. After forcing a few more Senator misses, Weakley made a jumper and freshman Alanna Tate got on the board to put FSU up 25-10. With thirty seconds left, the Senators got a bucket to go, but Sharp took the last shot of the quarter, hitting another three with seven seconds left on a feed from Freeze to end the first with a 28-12 lead.

Thomas put the Bobcats up 32-14 to get the second quarter started, the first of back-to-back baskets, then freshman Grace Middleton was found wide open by Tate to go up 34-14. Tate and Middleton swapped buckets with D&E to keep the difference at 20, before junior Jasmine Johnson brought down an offensive board and put it back up for two 40-18. Another Davis & Elkins score at the six-minute mark was hit back through Tate and Weakley with the next six points to put FSU up 46-20. After the Senators broke a two-minute scoring duck, freshman Jenna Liska was open for a layup and her first points of the game, followed by another Sharp trey for a 51-22 advantage. D&E got a pair of buckets and three free throws in the final two and a half minutes, with Muha scoring once in the paint to put FSU up 54-29 at the half.

Weakley put up the first four points for Frostburg with in the first minute to start the third. Showing some fight after their 25-point halftime deficit, Davis and Elkins went on a 16-point run to pull all the way back within 58-47. Having gone over five minutes without any offense, FSU got their scoring mojo back as Tate went two-for-two from the line to lead 60-47. The Senators still stuck to their task, using a layup and three to make it an eight-point game 60-52. Tate and Middleton helped to restore some balance and give the Bobcats some cushion with six straight points and a 66-52 lead. Four freebies from D&E were responded to by Muha, who had a three-point play followed by a great find from freshman Mandy Roman to go up 71-56. To end the quarter, Weakley and Thomas combined for three free throws and a 74-56 advantage.

It took about two minutes for either team to start putting the ball in the basket, as Weakley started the action going one-for-two at the line, then taking the rock coast-to-coast for a layup up by 23. Another pair for Weakley at the charity stripe was followed by Muha and Roman combining for three steals, which turned into four points and an 83-56 lead. The Senators scored their first poitns of the quarter after over four minutes, as Muha got to the line and back-to-back threes from Sharp put FSU up 91-60 with under four to play. Freeze got her first bucket of the game, then fed an assist to Sharp for her seventh three of the night. With the game in hand, Head Coach Jenna Eckleberry was able to give each of the seniors a moment to be recognized with individual substitutions, as Sharp was the last to leave the floor after making two free throws for the final 98-66 score.

Weakley and Muha each earned double-doubles, the former with 24 points and 14 rebounds, as the latter put in 16 points and 10 boards. Sharp tied Weakley in scoring a game-high 24 and Tate joined in double figures with 10. Roman finished with a game-high four assists, followed closely by Freeze, Weakley, and Thomas all adding three apiece, while the latter also had a trio of steals.

With the conclusion of this game, Frostburg moves to an overall record of 18-9 and a conference record of 14-5 while D&E falls to an overall record of 2-23 and a conference record of 1-18. The Bobcats are back in action on Saturday, March 2 as they travel to Fairmont State for a 2 pm start time in the regular season finale for both programs. For more information visit frostburgsports.com.