Men’s Basketball Hopeful for a Postseason

Since Dec. 30, when the Frostburg State Bobcats visited Roanoke College for the Cregger Tournament, the team has put together a 5-6 record; a impressive improvement for a team that struggled in the first half of the 2016-2017 season.  Despite the team’s slow start, the campus community has continued to rally around the Bobcats.

To ring in the New Year, the Bobcats faced St. Mary’s and collected their first Capital Athletic Conference win. Junior Tyler Michael led the charge with 27 points, including a 14-point first half that helped the Bobcats to a 35-31 lead at the break. Junior Christopher Coston added 11 points and sophomore Edwin Cole gathered in 13 rebounds.  Defensively, the Bobcats blocked 12 shots, outrebounded St. Mary’s, and locked down the perimeter while holding the Seahawks to just 33.3% shooting. Junior Zachary Coalmon led the defensive effort, which he does night in and night out, by tying Frostburg State’s school record with 10 blocks after registering nine blocks in the Cregger Tournament.

Motivated after their first conference victory, the team hoped to jump-start their season and secure a spot in the playoffs.  Sadly, the Bobcats dropped their next two games against Salisbury University and York College.

In an effort to improve their record during the second half of the season, the Bobcats turned to starting line-up changes and rotation switches to improve production.  Head Coach Webb Hatch went with a more defensive and athletic starting-five, with Tyler Michael running point guard, Christopher Coston and Daniel Alexander at the two guard spots, with the two big men in the middle, Zachary Coalman and Edwin Cole.  After this switch, Frostburg hit another gear late in the season and strung together impressive wins against Marymount, Southern Virginia, and Mary Washington.

The Bobcats’ latest game against Southern Virginia on Feb. 8 was perhaps the most exciting game of the season.

Five FSU  players, Michael, Alexander, Cole, junior Dalton Gaus, and freshman Rhashad Johnson,  scored in double figures and Frostburg scored 43 points in each half.

The Bobcats shot 48% from the floor and drained an impressive eight three-pointers.

Michael led FSU in scoring with 16 points to go along with six assists.  Cole finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Alexander had 10.

Frostburg also received a strong effort from its bench as Johnson was second on the team with 15 points and Gaus added 12. Gaus brought the crowd at Bobcat Arena to their feet when he swished a half-court heave to end the first half, and the Bobcats remained in total control throughout the second half to secure an exciting victory.