CONWAY, S.C. – Lei Lei Hairston and Urysla Cotton had career days as the Elon women’s basketball team fell 61-49 to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers on Tuesday evening. Cotton pulled down a career-best 19 rebounds, seven off the offensive glass, on her way to her second double-double in as many games. It was the first time since 1996 that an Elon player has tallied 19 rebounds in a game. The senior also netted 10 points in the effort. Hairston scored a career-best 14 points to lead the team. Elon dropped to 5-7 on the season, while Coastal Carolina improved to 9-3.
“I think, defensively, we played as hard as we could have,” head coach Karen Barefoot said. “We have to shoot the ball better, especially against a team that is undefeated on their home court.”
It was a tale of two halves as the Phoenix shot 40.6 percent in the first 20 minutes of play compared to a dismal 20.6 percent in the second half. Elon netted 17 points off of turnovers and 22 points in the paint in the first half, but only had one point off of a turnover and eight points in the paint in the second half.
Coastal Carolina opened the first half with an 8-3 run, before the Phoenix made it one-point game, 10-9, on a layup by Cotton. Ali Ford beat out a Chanticleer guard for a loose ball at half-court that sparked a 16-6 run. After two quick CCU buckets, Hairston hit a jumper to cut the lead to two at 15-13 with 7:41 left in the half. Elon took its first lead of the night on a Cotton basket at the 6:29 mark.
The Phoenix opened up to a 25-17 lead on back-to-back jumpers by Kelsey Evans and Kallie Hovatter with under three minutes on the clock. Cotton ended the first half with a bucket that sent the Phoenix into the locker room holding a 27-19 lead.
Elon was held scoreless for the opening six minutes of the second half as the Chanticleers went on an 11-0 streak to take a three-point lead at 30-27. Coastal Carolina used an 8-2 run to take a 47-38 lead with just over seven minutes remaining in the game.
Cotton drained a free throw with 2:42 on the clock that made it a five-point game at 51-46. Tiara Gause hit her first three of the season for Elon’s final points, but the Chanticleers went 5-for-6 at the charity stripe in the final minute of play for the win.
The Phoenix, who entered the game ranked among the best in the Southern Conference in shots from behind the arc, made just one three in the loss.
Elon returns to the court on Saturday, January 2 at 2 p.m., when it resumes Southern Conference play against Appalachian State in Boone, N.C.
