November 19th, 2023 by WCBC Radio
Frostburg State Men's Basketball team dropped their opening conference game on Saturday afternoon, falling to Davis & Elkins on the road by a final score of 85-57.
D&E came out hot, scoring in the first 30 seconds of play, starting out with a 9-0 run. Frostburg struggled to get going on offense, not getting on the board until four and a half minutes into the game on a layup in the paint by junior Sebastian Gahse. Senior Cole Harshman knocked down the next two points for the Bobcats, putting another layup in the bucket for a 9-4 game. Both teams traded turnovers and steals, with freshman Logan Lewis earning himself a steal, as senior Jaylon Johnson connected on a mid-range jumper. Lewis scored his first points of the game around the midway mark of the half, driving into the paint for a 14-8 score.
FSU was able to get within five after back-to-back buckets from Lewis and junior Koby Baptiste, with Baptiste throwing down a dunk, hoping to create some momentum for the Bobcats. Junior JayShaun Freeman knocked down a three from deep, bringing the score to 20-16, before the Senators answered right back with a three of their own, being topped off with a three from Johnson to bring the game back to within four. Johnson converted two more buckets before D&E scored five straight points to increase their lead to double digits. With under a minute left in the half, Freeman connected on another jumper to bring Frostburg within eight, as a free throw by the Senators gave them a 37-28 lead at the half.
The Senators once again scored the first points of the second half, increasing their lead back to double digits right off the bat. Junior Robby Williams scored the first points for the Bobcats, converting on a mid-range jumper. Baptiste drove inside for a layup, before Freeman connected from behind the arc for a 45-35 game. Another jumper from Williams and two free throws from freshman Zane McCarty brought Frostburg within seven with just over six minutes played in the second.
D&E quickly responded with an 8-0 run, jumping ahead by 15. Three straight scores from Freeman quieted the Senators run, bringing the game to 58-45. Trading points back and forth, FSU could not put together a run to cut into D&E's lead. Freshman Vilius Slanina scored his first points of the game, allowing the score to be 68-52. The Senators quickly went on another 8-0 run, before Johnson was able to find the bucket once more for a fastbreak layup. D&E outscored FSU 9-3 in the last five minutes to take the 85-57 victory.
Freeman led Frostburg on offense with 19 points, while Johnson finished with 11. On the glass, Lewis grabbed eight rebounds while Gahse was credited with six.
With the loss, FSU falls to 0-4 on the season, while Davis & Elkins improves to 3-1. The Bobcats stay on the road for another MEC matchup, facing West Virginia Wesleyan on Tuesday, November 21 at 7:30 PM. For more information and updates, please visit frostburgsports.com.
