Sondberg Tallies Career High as Men's Basketball Drops Road Contest to WVSU

INSTITUTE, W. Va. – The Frostburg State Men's Basketball team fell on the road 88-73 to West Virginia State Wednesday evening.
 
WVSU started the game on the front foot, knocking down a pair of threes en route to a 9-0 lead while holding the Bobcats scoreless for three minutes until graduate Eric Sondberg hit one of his own. The Yellow Jackets rolled on, as Sondberg had the only FSU bucket during another three-minute drought, as the hosts built up an 18-6 advantage.
 
Redshirt senior Naphtali Regilus got to the line and then fed senior Koby Baptiste for a layup in hopes of getting Frostbug back in the game, as junior Jaden Baker joined in with a drive to the rim and a three to cut the deficit to eight with just over six minutes left. WV State scored on each of their next three offensive trips, going back up by 15 before Baker converted an and-one and had a perfect trip to the line to get back within single digits.
 
A Baker lay-in with three minutes left was the only Bobcat basket until Baptiste was able to get into the paint with 22 seconds left, as WVSU took advantage of turnovers and offensive rebounds to head into the half up 37-24.
 
In a fast-paced start to the second half, neither team missed from the floor on their first five possessions, with Baptiste and freshman Christopher Meakin combining for six points, but couldn't find stops on the defensive end as the hosts still led by 14. After Baker hit a mid-range jumper at the 17-minute mark, FSU wouldn't hit another shot for over four minutes, when sophomore Vilius Slanina got a steal-and-score but now facing a 64-34 deficit.
 
Meakin got to the charity stripe as the Yellow Jacket lead grew to as many as 35, with Slanina hitting from deep and Regilus getting a tip-in to go down. Over the final 10 minutes, Sondberg began to find his rhythm, being found by Regilus for a trey then taking advantage of a steal from freshman Brady Walters for a layup.
 
Slanina got to the rim once again, then Regilus muscled his way to an and-one before being fouled on the next possession, knocking both freebies down. Sondberg then took over the offense, swiping a steal for an easy basket, then hit back-to-back triples, a pair of free throws, and two straight layups to bring the score down to 84-67. Walters and Sondberg then combined to make the final three Bobcat baskets, as the final read 88-73 at the horn.
 
Sondberg led all scorers with 27 points, while also swatting away four shots, setting career-highs in both categories, while Meakin (9) and Regilus (8) topped FSU's rebounding totals.
 
With the loss, Frostburg falls to 9-12 on the year, while WVSU improves to 10-10. The Bobcats return home to face Charleston (WV) on Saturday, February 8 at 4 p.m. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.