ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team was handed its first home loss of the season as College of Charleston defeated the Phoenix, 76-62, on Saturday night, Jan. 25, at Schar Center.
 
Elon (14-7, 5-3 CAA) was led by TK Simpkins and his 20 points as the junior guard shot 7-of-12 from the field. Sam Sherry and Nick Dorn both added 15 points with Sherry grabbing a team-high seven rebounds.
 
Charleston (16-5, 6-2 CAA) had four players reach double figures with AJ Smith tying Simpkins for game-high honors with 20 points. Ante Brzovic had 18 while Lazar Djokovic added 13. Both Brzovic and Djokovic had double-doubles with 12 and 11 rebounds, respectively. Derrin Boyd was the other CofC player in double digits with 10 points.
 
THE RUNDOWN
• Charleston held a 9-7 lead over the Phoenix going into the first media timeout. The Phoenix responded with a 9-1 run after the timeout to take a 16-10 lead after a Brayden Crump follow-up in the lane.
• The Cougars returned with an 8-2 run of their own to tie the game at 18-all. Elon went back in front, 24-22, after a three-pointer from the corner by Dorn with 6:16 left in the half.
• CofC went on a 13-3 run over the next five minutes to take its largest lead of the half, 35-27, after a three-pointer from CJ Fulton. Simpkins was able to make a layup before the end of the period as the Phoenix trailed 35-29 going into the halftime break.
• Elon scored the opening points of the second half, but a 6-0 run from Charleston gave the visitors a double-digit lead, 41-31. It would remain a 10-point game as the Cougars went into the first media timeout of the second half with a 45-35 lead.
• The Cougars pushed their lead to 13, 51-38, after a couple of free throws, but the Phoenix was able to cut its deficit to nine after a Sherry layup and a Simpkins jumper. Charleston answered with a couple of buckets to carry its advantage back to 13, 55-42, going to the under-12 media timeout in the second half.
• Elon would get as close as 11, 63-52, after a three-pointer from Dorn with 7:06 left in the game. Charleston however would not let the Phoenix get any closer as the Cougars stayed in control for the 76-62 win.
 
NOTES
• Elon lost the battle on the boards against the Cougars, 40-33, and for only the fifth time all season by an opponent. The Phoenix is now 0-5 when it is outrebounded by the opposition.
• TK Simpkins had his third 20-point game of the season and the first in league play. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native was also 5-of-7 from the free throw line.
• Tonight was Elon's sixth straight loss versus the Cougars and the fifth overall on its home floor.
• The Phoenix defended the three-point line against the Cougars, holding CofC to 19 percent from downtown (4-of-21). That is the lowest percentage that Elon has held an opponent to this season.
• Matthew Van Komen had two blocks in the game, pushing his season total to 47. That number is tied for the seventh-best performance in school history in a single season.
 
UP NEXT
The Phoenix continues its homestand with a contest versus Hofstra on Thursday, Jan. 30, at Schar Center. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will stream on FloCollege (FloHoops).