BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State's D.J. Thompson scored 20 points and added five assists and six steals to lead the Mountaineers to a 71-60 win over the Elon Phoenix on Saturday afternoon at the Holmes Center.
Thompson's 20-point night is his 12th 20-point performance of the season and Jeremy Clayton added a career-high 17 points and blocked four shots to lead the way for Appalachian (10-14, 4-7 SoCon). Clayton also matched a career high with four assists in the game. Nathan Cranford rounded out three Mountaineers in double-figures with 11 points and never left the floor in the victory.
Scottie Rice led four double-digit scorers for Elon with 14 points, including four three-point field goals. LeVonn Jordan added 13 points while Colin Wyatt chipped in 12 and Brett James contributed 10. Rice led the squad with six rebounds and also recorded five assists. The Mountaineers managed to neutralize Elon’s Chris Chalko and Jackson Atoyebi, limiting the pair to a combined nine points. In the first meeting this season, a 65-59 Elon win, the two scored 39 points.
The Mountaineers jumped out to a 13-point lead in the first half and matched that advantage three times after halftime en route to snapping a three-game losing streak.
Elon (12-12, 8-3 SoCon) cut the ASU lead to as few as three points at 49-46 midway through the second period after an 8-0 run on threes from Rice and James and two free throws from Atoyebi. But, Appalachian answered with a 9-0 run to stretch the advantage back to 12 at 58-46 with just over seven minutes left to play and ASU never led by less than nine the rest of the way. Clayton and Thompson scored seven of the Apps’ points during that two minute run to give the squad a safe cushion.
Elon shot 46.8 percent (22-for-47) from the field and 40 percent (6-for-15) from three-point range, including 57.1 percent (12-for-21) from the field in the second half and 62.5 percent (5-for-8) from behind the arc. The Phoenix shot 76.9 percent (10-for-13) from the line for the game.
The Mountaineers posted a 45.6 field goal percentage (26-for57) and a 42.3 three-point field goal percentage (11-for-26) and shot 80 percent (8-for-10) from the line.
Elon edged ASU in points in the paint (30-28), bench points (18-17) and rebounds (30-28) while the Mountaineers gained advantages in point off turnovers (17-12), second chance points (8-6), steals (12-3), blocks (7-1) and turnovers (8-16). Both teams recorded 15 fast break points.
Elon returns to action on Monday, Feb. 13 in a 7 p.m. tilt with Chattanooga at Alumni Gym. Appalachian State travels to Western Carolina for a 7 p.m. game on Monday.
-ELON- Game Box Score
