Women's Basketball Falls in First-Ever Contest with Point Park

FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Women's Basketball team dropped their home game on Saturday afternoon against Point Park by a final score of 78-70.
 
Point Park got the scoring going a minute in with a three from behind the arc, before starting on top 5-0.  Senior Taylor Smith swished it from deep for Frostburg's first points of the game, before Smith fed graduate Sarah Shamdeen underneath for an easy lay-in and a tie game.  Both teams went quiet for a minute, before the Pioneers took a 10-7 lead as Smith earned another two points for FSU.  Freshman Ayla Hileman traded scores with PPU, knocking down her first three of the day, but Point Park fought to stay in front as time went on.  The Pioneers built their lead to 16-11 before senior Emilee Weakley got on the board and sunk a three to get the Bobcats within one.  Weakley knocked down another triple before the quarter ended, but PPU added to their score to see a 20-17 lead heading into the second. 
 
Staying hot from behind the arc, Weakley knocked down another three to start to the second with a 20-20 tie.  PPU went two-for-two at the free throw line to retake the lead, before Hileman put Frostburg back on top with a 23-22 score.  Weakley added to the Bobcats lead with a layup, before Point Park went on a 10-0 run to jump in front 32-25 around the midway mark.  Weakley stopped the run with another three, but PPU responded with a three of their own on the other end.  The Pioneers went up by 11 as FSU missed their next few shots, until Shamdeen sunk a three to get Frostburg going.  PPU continued to be one step ahead on both ends of the floor, sinking back-to-back baskets to extend their lead.  Weakley sunk a free throw for FSU's final points of the half, as Point Park marked a 45-32 lead at the break.
 
Both teams saw a slow start to the third, with Hileman connecting on yet another three to start the quarter.  Weakley rallied behind her with another three of her own as well, bringing the game to a 45-38 score.  Point Park jumped back in front by 10, but Hileman silenced them again, connecting for another triple.  Weakley got the game within seven, but a three from PPU put the game at a double digit differential once again.  Hileman and Shamdeen scored the next two baskets for FSU, but the Pioneers were still able to hold on to their lead.  Another trey from Weakley cut the game to eight, as neither team saw a score for the final two minutes, sending the game into the fourth quarter with a 59-51 score in favor of Point Park.
 
Hileman opened the fourth with another three to get FSU within five, as PPU took the next four points for their own.  Weakley and Shamdeen worked to get the score to 63-59 just four minutes into the fourth, but a three from Point Park put them right back up by seven.  A layup from Smith kept the margin under 10 points with 3:42 left to play, until Point Park took four more straight points.  Two free throws from Weakley cut the game to nine with 2:03 left, but with Frostburg now looking to foul to save time and get the ball back, the Pioneers started their success at the free throw line to push the game to 75-65.  Smith went down and laid in a bucket in the paint for a nine-point game, before making two free throws for a 76-69 score with 46 seconds left.  PPU connected one out of two free throws, but Frostburg was unable to make anything on their next trip down, as time was not in FSU's favor, as the score ended with a 78-70 final. 
 
Weakley led all scorers with 29 points, shooting 6-for-12 from deep, while also grabbing eight rebounds.  Hileman was next with 17 points, on 5-for-12 from deep, wile Smith and Shamdeen each finished with 12 points.  Senior Jasmine Jonson grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds, while freshman Julie Spinelli also saw eight.  Smith dished out a team-high six assists. 
 
With the loss, Frostburg falls to 10-6 on the season, while Point Park moves to 4-11.  The Bobcats go on the road for their next matchup, facing West Virginia Wesleyan at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, January 22.  For more information and updates, please visit frostburgsports.com.