CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team battled College of Charleston beyond the initial 40 minutes of action, taking the Cougars into overtime, but the Phoenix would ultimately fall 88-83 on Saturday night, Feb. 8, at TD Arena.
 
Elon (15-10, 6-6 CAA) had four players score in double figures with Nick Dorn leading the way with 21 points. Sam Sherry had 19 while TK Simpkins added 17. TJ Simpkins had 14 points off the bench for the maroon and gold.
 
Charleston (19-6, 9-3 CAA) had three players score in double figures as Ante Brzovic scored a game-high 27 points. Derrin Boyd added 24 while CJ Fulton contributed with 14.
 
THE RUNDOWN
• Elon took a 7-5 lead early in the game after a Dorn three-pointer at the 16:54 mark in the first half. The Cougars however reeled off an 8-0 run to take a 13-7 lead.
• The Cougars took an eight-point lead, 20-12, but Elon answered with an 11-4 run to cut it to a one-point game, 24-23, after a Dorn layup. The Phoenix stayed close to CofC as the hosts held a 30-28 lead going into the under-eight media timeout.
• A pair of free throws from TK Simpkins tied the game at 30-all. Charleston went on a 10-0 run to take a 10-point lead, 40-30, after a CJ Fulton three-pointer. Elon was able to cut the deficit to six, 42-36, but a last-second basket by Brzovic gave the hosts an eight-point lead, 44-36, going into the half.
• The Cougars had a 10-point lead to start the second half, 48-38, but the Phoenix came back with a 12-4 run to cut it into a two-point game, 52-50, after a pair of free throws by TJ Simpkins. Elon kept putting pressure on Charleston, bringing its deficit to one, 57-56, after a Van Komen putback with 10:43 left in regulation.
• Charleston took a four-point lead, 62-58, after a Brzovic layup, but the Phoenix battled back to tie the game at 64-all after a three-pointer from Nick Dorn. The Cougars retook the lead twice over the next three minutes, but Elon answered each time and ultimately took a 68-67 lead after TJ Simpkins made a pair of free throws with 1:58 left in the second half.
• Boyd hit a three-point to give the Cougars a two-point advantage, 70-68, and held on to that advantage down to the final seconds of regulation when the Phoenix called a timeout with 14 seconds left. After the timeout, Dorn was fouled on a three-point attempt with six seconds on the clock as the sophomore calmly knocked down all three from the charity stripe to put the Phoenix up 71-70.
• Charleston was able to draw a foul down on the other end with one second remaining and Brzovic going to the line. Elon was lucky as he split the pair and forced overtime.
• In the extra session, Elon led by as much as three, 74-71, after Sherry hit a pair of free throws with 3:13 left to play. The Cougars retook the lead, 75-74, on a Brzovic tip-in with 2:27 on the clock, but the Phoenix regained the advantage, 76-75, on an alley-oop by Matthew Van Komen.
• The Cougars pulled away with a 10-2 run, going ahead 85-78 with 31 seconds remaining. Elon would get it down to three, 86-83, after a TK Simpkins layup, but Charleston closed out the game at the free throw line for the 88-83 win.
 
NOTES
• Saturday was the Phoenix's first overtime game since Dec. 5, 2019, at High Point. It was also the Phoenix's sixth straight overtime loss.
• Van Komen had another double-digit rebound effort with 10 boards on the night and just missed out on a double-double with nine points.
• Elon was 17-of-18 from the free throw line, the second time in its past three games shooting 90 percent or better at the charity stripe.
• The Phoenix shot 45 percent in the game (29-of-65) while holding the Cougars to 40 percent (27-of-68). Charleston went 23-of-34 from the free throw line and was 11-of-28 from downtown.
 
UP NEXT
Elon is back at Schar Center next Thursday, Feb. 13, hosting North Carolina A&T. Game time between the Phoenix and the Aggies is set for 7 p.m. and will stream on FloCollege (FloBasketball).