FROSTBURG, Md. — The West Virginia Wesleyan women’s basketball team opened its 2025–26 campaign with a fight-to-the-finish performance on Friday afternoon, storming back from a double-digit deficit before ultimately falling 70–67 to Bloomsburg University in the Jim Crawley Conference Challenge at Frostburg State University.
The Bobcats erased a 14-point second-half deficit behind a dominant fourth quarter and a balanced scoring effort led by Sydney Baird, Emma Witt, and Kilah Dandridge, but timely free-throw shooting by the Huskies in the final seconds preserved the narrow Bloomsburg victory.
The season opener began with immediate energy on both ends. Wesleyan matched Bloomsburg basket for basket in a 16–16 first quarter, highlighted by aggressive defense from Ava Stevenson, who collected two early steals that led directly to transition points.
The Bobcats briefly held a 12–4 lead midway through the period before Bloomsburg closed the quarter strong and used a late push to take a 32–29 lead into halftime.
Turnovers and hot shooting by the Huskies swung momentum out of the break. Bloomsburg shot 50% in the third period and hit three triples to build their largest lead of the day at 13 points (42–29), capping a 13–0 run.
Despite the deficit, Wesleyan kept contact thanks to steady rebounding from Avery Childers, Emma Witt, and Allie Daniels.
Wesleyan erupted for 24 fourth-quarter points, their highest-scoring period of the day. The Bobcats were within one possession three separate times in the final minute, but Bloomsburg answered with calm free-throw shooting, going a perfect 4-for-4 in the last 12 seconds.
A deep three-point attempt from Dandridge at the buzzer fell short, sealing the tight 70–67 final.
Wesleyan continues opening-weekend action tomorrow with another neutral-site matchup at Bobcat Arena in Frostburg. Tip-off against Pitt-Johnstown is scheduled for 1 p.m. as the Bobcats look to secure their first win of the 2025–26 campaign.
