The University of Mary Washington men's basketball team nearly overcame a late 11-point deficit with an 8-0 run, but couldn't quite get all the way back in a 76-72 loss at Frostburg State University on Saturday afternoon in Capital Athletic Conference action. The Eagles slip to 6-5 overall, and 2-2 in league play.
The first half saw the lead swing back and forth in an exciting fashion. After the Bobcats jumped out to a 4-0 lead, junior T.J. Jones hit a three pointer, and then made a free throw to tie the game. The teams traded buckets, with freshman Johnny Cronin adding a layup, before Jones hit another three pointer to give the Eagles a 9-6 lead, their first of the day.
Five straight FSU points returned the lead to the home side, before an Emerson Burk layup tied the score at 11-11 with 12:41 left. The Bobcats scored six of the next eight points, but another Jones three cut the deficit back to 17-16 with 9:33 to play.
Frostburg hit for a pair of three pointers to extend the lead to 23-16 with 8:48, but Mark Madison and Asa Scott each hit three pointers, and the score stood 23-22 with 6:41 to go in the first. After a pair of scoreless trips up and down the floor, UMW regained the lead at 24-23 on a Matt Forrest layup with 4:58 left. From there, Frostburg outscored the Eagles 8-2, and carried a 31-26 lead to halftime.
In the second half, the FSU lead bounced between two and five points, before the hosts scored 10 straight points to take a 48-35 advantage with 13:58 left. UMW scored six of the next eight points, including four from Jones, to trim the deficit to 50-41 with 12:21 on the clock.
An LJ Baylor three pointer with 10:14 remaining cut the deficit to six, at 52-46, but four straight Bobcat points returned the lead to 10, at 57-47, with 8:59 to go. FSU hit a jumper with 7:40 left to up its lead to 61-49, but the Eagles scored eight straight points, including three points from Cronin and Isaac Blue, to cut the score to 61-57 with 4:19 left in regulation.
The teams traded two- and three-point baskets, with Madison scoring all five for UMW, and Jones followed with another three pointer to cut the deficit to one, at 66-65, with 2:25 left. Burk hit a pair of free throws, and Madison hit a three pointer late, but Frostburg made eight straight free throws to take the 76-72 win.
Mary Washington shot 35.7% from the field (25-70), including 10-31 three pointers, and made 12-19 free throws. Frostburg shot 43.9% from the field (25-57), with 6-18 three point shooting, and went 20-30 from the line. UMW led in rebounds, 49-38, and led in points off of turnovers, 20-9.
Jones led the Eagles with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Madison scored 15 and Cronin added 11 before fouling out.
The Eagles will be back in action on Wednesday when they visit Wesley College at 8:00 p.m. in another CAC showdown.