ELON, NC – Holly Andrews poured in a career-high 30 points and Courtney Nyborg and Ivey Ghee both registered double-doubles as Elon rallied past Charleston Southern 87-73 in a Big South Conference television event Friday night at Alumni Gym.
Nyborg hammered home 13 points and 11 rebounds while Ghee tallied 12 markers and 10 boards, including eight caroms in the first half, in front of a season-high crowd of 774 screaming fans. Teammate Jayme Chikos finished with 11 points and a season-high nine assists, narrowly missing a double-double performance herself.
An early 19-2 run transformed a 4-0 Phoenix edge into a commanding 19-6 Buccaneer advantage with 12:36 to play in the opening period. Katie LaRue, a former standout at nearby N.W. Guilford High School, scored seven of CSU’s 19 points during that 6:04 stretch.
Elon bounced back with a 25-14 surge to close within 33-31 on an Andrews three-point bomb with 3:21 remaining in the half. On the strength of six-straight points from Marea Daniels on three lay-ups, the Buccaneers outscored the Phoenix 9-3 during the remainder of the stanza to claim a 42-34 halftime lead.
After leading by 13 on four occasions in the first half, Charleston Southern (12-9, 6-4 Big South) held an 11-point advantage twice in the second period. The last such time was at 56-45 with 14:14 left in the contest before the Phoenix caught fire en route to a 59.4-percent second-half shooting performance from the field.
The Phoenix (13-8, 7-2 Big South) exploded for a 36-12 run over the next 11:39 to pull ahead 81-68 with 2:35 to play and never looked back. Anestha Blakeney finished with 11 points as Elon sported five double-digit scorers on its way to a season-high 87 points.
Andrews, who tied a career best with five treys by finishing 5-for-10 from beyond the arc, has scored 14 or more points in each of her last 10 games. Ghee and Nyborg each recorded their third double-double of the season. Nyborg also swatted three CSU shots.
The Buccaneer attack was spearheaded by four double-figure scorers – Daniels (17 points), Erica McCoy (14), LaRue (13) and Lisa Crandall (10). CSU’s Keena Wicker grabbed 10 rebounds and LaRue dished out five assists.
The story of the game was indeed a tale of two halves as the Phoenix went 13-for-39 (33.3 percent) from the field in the opening period, but ended up 19-for-32 (59.4) from the floor in the second stanza. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers fired 56.3 percent from the field (18-for-32) in the first half, but struggled to hit a 34.4-percent clip (11-for-32) in the second.
Elon out-shined Charleston Southern in three-point field goal percentage (50.0-28.6), rebounding (44-36), assists (19-15), turnovers (14-18), blocked shots (5-1) and steals (9-6). The Buccaneers finished with edges in overall field goal percentage (45.3-45.1) and free throw percentage (73.3-65.2).
With the victory, the Phoenix improved to 9-0 at Alumni Gym for the season. Elon has won 17 of its last 18 home games and garners a sizzling 33-12 record (.733) at Alumni Gym during its four-year tenure at the NCAA Division I level.
NEXT UP: Both teams return to action Sunday with 2 p.m. Big South contests. Elon hosts Coastal Carolina while High Point hosts Charleston Southern.
--ELON-- Game Box Score
