ELON, N.C. – Elon University men's basketball fell to West Virginia, 87-68, in its opening game at the Charleston Classic on Thursday, Nov. 18.

THE RUNDOWN
- After WVU took a 16-7 lead in the early stages of the first half, Elon used an 8-2 run to battle back into the game. Darius Burford got things going on the spurt, going on a personal 5-0 scoring run to cut the deficit to four. After the Mountaineers scored to retake a six-point lead, Hunter Woods drilled his first triple of the night to bring Elon within 18-15 with just over 13 minutes before halftime.
- With the score sitting at 40-26 with just under five minutes to play before the break, the Phoenix outscored the Mountaineers 11-2 over the next four minutes to cut the deficit back down to five. Torrence Watson was the catalyst for the spurt, scoring six of the 11 Elon points. Burford, Woods and Jerald Gillens-Butler accounted for the other five points.
- Elon entered the break trailing 44-37.
- The Phoenix traded buckets with WVU early in the second half to keep the contest within striking distance. Down 56-41 with just over 15 minutes remaining in the game, five quick points from Hunter McIntosh and a triple from Zac Ervin got Elon back within nine.
- WVU used a late second half run to help secure the win on Thursday night.

NOTES
- Torrence Watson led the way for the Phoenix, dropping 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists in a team-high 38 minutes of action. Watson finished the night 8-of-8 from the free throw line and is now 18-of-20 (90 percent) from the charity stripe this season.
- Hunter McIntosh chipped in 13 points and two rebounds in 19 minutes, shooting 5-of-10 from the floor and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. McIntosh has now scored at 10+ points in 37 of his 57 career games at Elon.
- Darius Burford added 12 points, six rebounds and two assists on the night. Burford has logged at least 10 points, five rebounds and two assists in consecutive games.
- Hunter Woods posted 11 points, four rebounds and a team-high four steals in 30 minutes on the court. Woods knocked down 3-of-5 triples in the contest and is now shooting 9-of-14 for a team-best 64.3 percent clip from long distance this year.
- Zac Ervin rounded out the double-figure scoring for the Phoenix, finishing the night with 11 points and seven rebounds in 35 minutes of action. Ervin has scored at least 10 points in three straight contests.
- The Phoenix held a 12-10 advantage in fast break points and a 13-11 advantage in assists.
 
UP NEXT
Elon returns to action on Friday, Nov. 19, when it takes on Ole Miss. on day two of the Shriners Children's Charleston Classic. That contest is slated for a 9 p.m. tip and will be broadcasted live on ESPN3.