CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team was handed an 80-62 setback at College of Charleston in a CAA road contest on Thursday night, Jan, 11, at TD Arena.
 
Elon (8-8, 1-2 CAA) saw four players score in double figures led by 17 points from Max Mackinnon. The Brisbane, Australia, native also paced the Phoenix with eight boards on the night. Sam Sherry added 13 points while Rob Higgins and Zac Ervin both contributed with 11 each.
 
The Cougars improved to 12-4 overall and remained unbeaten in the CAA with a 3-0 ledger. Ben Burnham and Ante Brzovic both scored 20 for Charleston to lead the Cougars while Kobe Rodger contributed with 14 off the bench,
 
THE RUNDOWN
• The Cougars took a 6-2 lead after a Brzovic jumper at the 17:14 mark, but the Phoenix responded with an 8-0 run capped by a three-pointer from Mackinnon.
• The Phoenix was ahead by four, 19-15, on a jumper in the paint by Rob Higgins at the 11:55 mark. Charleston however erased the Phoenix's lead with an 8-0 run to move ahead 23-19 on a three-pointer by Khalil London.
• Elon knotted the contest at 25-all after a jump hook by Sherry. The Cougars went on a 5-0 run before Zac Ervin hit a three to pull the Phoenix within two, 30-28. Charleston responded with an 8-3 run to take a 38-31 advantage.
• An Isaac Harrell three-pointer with 24 seconds pulled the Phoenix within four, 38-34, but a three-point play converted by Brzovic gave the Cougars a 41-34 advantage going into the half.
• At the start of the second half, the Cougars extended their lead to double figures, 44-34, on a layup by Brzovic. Charleston would hold a double-digit advantage until a pair of free throws by Mackinnon brought the maroon and gold within eight, 48-40.
• Elon continued to trim its deficit, making it a four-point game at one point. A pair of free throws from Higgins at the 13:49 mark in the second half made it a 48-44 contest.
• That would be as close as the Phoenix would get as the Cougars came back with a 6-0 run to give them a 10-point lead, 54-44. A triple from Higgins with 7:03 left in the game cut the Phoenix deficit down to single digits, 61-53, but Charleston expanded the down the stretch before settling with the winning score of 80-62.
 
NOTES
• Mackinnon scored in double figures for the sixth straight game and his team-best 12^th time this season for the Phoenix. Higgins posted his fourth consecutive game of scoring double digits.
• Ervin hit three three-pointers on the night, going 3-of-7 from deep. The Gate City, Va., native now has 185 career triples in his career, just seven shy of moving into the program's top-10 career list.
• TK Simpkins returned for the Phoenix after missing the last three games due to injury. The Phoenix's leading score coming into the contest at 12.3 points per game, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native played 21 minutes while scoring three points with six rebounds and four assists.
• The Phoenix had nine turnovers in the contest, its second game out of the last three of having less than 10 turnovers. Elon in return forced 12 Charleston turnovers, scoring 10 points off those.
 
UP NEXT
Elon returns home to host Drexel to kick off a three-game homestand on Saturday, Jan. 13. Start time of that game is slated for 7 p.m. at Schar Center and will stream on FloHoops.