FROSTBURG, Md. – Jalen Gibbs finished with a season-high 21 points and Jertaya Hall added 19 points as the Fairmont State women's basketball team (13-6, 8-4 Mountain East Conference) edged Frostburg State (5-13, 3-9 MEC) on Saturday (Jan. 21) at Bobcat Arena in Frostburg, Md.
 
Gibbs shot 10-for-15 from the field and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. She added a pair of blocks and assists in 36 minutes of play. Hall drained a trio of three-point baskets and dished out two assists and picked up a steal. Katy Darnell netted double-figures for the 17^th time this season and scored 12 points. Alyssa DeAngelo and Aaliyah Brunny both passed three assists each.
 
The Falcons' defense forced 25 turnovers and capitalized on 37 points off turnovers. Fairmont State shot 43.1% from the field and held the Bobcats to 37.9% shooting. The Falcons scored 46 points in the paint compared to the Bobcats' 40 points in the lane.
 
With Fairmont State in the lead 7-6 in the first quarter, the Bobcats scored six-straight points and held a 12-7 lead with 3:50 on the clock. Brunny drilled a three to tie the score at 14 and Gibbs made a layup to put the Falcons back in the lead. The Bobcats scored the final two points of the period and the score was tied at 16 after one. The Bobcats scored the first six points of the second quarter. Fairmont State responded with a 5-0 run and a Hall three-pointer trimmed the Bobcats' lead to one point. Laney Whitmore converted two free throws to tie the game at 25 midway through the second quarter. A layup and free throw by Hall and a Darnell layup gave Fairmont State its largest lead of the first half, a 30-25 lead with 3:34 to go. Hall drilled another three and Darnell finished a layup to increase the Fairmont State lead to eight points with 1:43 remaining. The Bobcats trimmed the Fairmont State advantage to four points at the end of the first half.
 
Madeline Huffman opened the scoring in the second half with a transition three-point basket. She converted a jump shot with 7:12 in the third quarter that made the score 45-37 in favor of the Fighting Falcons. Hall hit her third three-pointer of the afternoon with 5:29 remaining in the third quarter to give the Falcons a nine-point cushion. A DeAngelo three and a Gibbs fast break layup pushed the Fairmont State lead to 12 points with 3:27 remaining in the third quarter. The Bobcats managed to cut the Fairmont State lead to four points in the final moments of the third quarter. Darnell stopped an 8-0 Bobcats' run with a jumper and Fairmont State led 59-53 after three. Hall drew a foul and made both free throws on the first possession of the final quarter. A Brunny layup increased the Falcons' lead back to double digits with 9:10 to go. Frostburg State rallied and cut the deficit to two scores in the middle parts of the fourth quarter. Darnell made consecutive jump shots and Gibbs added a layup to put Fairmont State ahead 74-63 with 2:29 left. The Fighting Falcons earned a 10-point road win.
 
The Fairmont State women's basketball team will welcome West Virginia State to Joe Retton Arena on Wednesday (Jan. 25) for a key MEC matchup at 5:30 p.m.