Frostburg State women’s basketball defeated Towson 94-92 in a double-overtime exhibition game Nov. 5 at SECU Arena in Towson, Maryland. Jenna Muha led Frostburg State with 29 points and 13 rebounds, while Ayla Hileman added 25 points.
Frostburg State opened the game with a 9-2 run and led 23-18 after the first quarter. Towson answered by outscoring the Bobcats 25-10 in the second quarter to take a 43-33 halftime lead.
Frostburg State rallies to force overtime
Towson continued to lead in the second half, holding a 59-48 advantage entering the fourth quarter. Hileman made two 3-pointers during the third quarter and opened the fourth with another long-range basket as Frostburg State continued to close the gap.
After scoring two points through the first three quarters, Julie Spinelli scored six points and assisted Karlee Hawkins during a four-possession stretch. Hawkins, Sophie Nichols and Raegan Ogle also contributed to Frostburg State’s pressing unit, which led to six Towson turnovers in the fourth quarter.
With Frostburg State trailing 67-64 and 2:39 remaining, Spinelli made her first 3-pointer of the game. Towson answered with a basket, but Hileman connected from 3-point range with 1:58 left to bring the Bobcats within two.
Towson later held a three-point lead with 11 seconds remaining in regulation. Riley McCabe drove to the basket and found Hileman in the corner, where the junior guard made her sixth 3-pointer with five seconds left to tie the game 72-72 and force overtime.
Muha and Roman make key plays in extra time
The teams exchanged baskets throughout the first overtime. Mandy Roman grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on a putback with less than a minute remaining to tie the game 81-81 and send it to a second overtime.
Muha scored Frostburg State’s first four points of the second overtime, including a basket 12 seconds into the period that gave the Bobcats their first lead since the second quarter. McCabe went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the second overtime, while Frostburg State converted 11 of 16 free throws during the period.
Towson cut Frostburg State’s lead to one late, but Muha made one of two free throws with six seconds remaining to put the Bobcats ahead 94-92. Roman then blocked Towson’s game-winning attempt as time expired to preserve the exhibition victory.
Statistical leaders
Muha shot 10-for-14 from the floor while leading Frostburg State in scoring and rebounding. Hileman shot 7-for-10 overall and 6-for-8 from 3-point range, adding three assists and recording a team-best plus-22 plus/minus.
McCabe finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and three assists while shooting 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. Spinelli contributed 14 points, four rebounds and three assists, scoring 12 points in the final 20 minutes, while Roman finished with three points, nine rebounds and two assists.
Frostburg State shot 29-for-62 from the field, 8-for-22 from 3-point range and 28-for-39 from the free-throw line. Towson shot 34-for-91 from the field, 9-for-31 from 3-point range and 15-for-26 from the free-throw line, while Frostburg State outscored the Tigers 61-49 in the second half and overtime periods.
Regular-season opener next for Frostburg State
The victory closed Frostburg State’s exhibition slate. The Bobcats are scheduled to open regular-season play against Mansfield (Pa.) at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, inside Bobcat Arena as part of the Jim Crawley Conference Challenge.
MSB Analysis
Frostburg State overcame a 13-point regulation deficit and tied the game on Hileman’s sixth 3-pointer with five seconds remaining. The teams exchanged baskets in the first overtime before Frostburg State took control in the second, where Muha, McCabe and Roman made the decisive plays in a 94-92 exhibition victory.
Source: Original report
