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SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford’s Rachel Brittenham’s career-high 22 points wasn’t enough as Elon squeaked out a 74-68 win over the Terriers Monday afternoon in a Southern Conference contest in the Benjamin Johnson Arena.
Brittenham finished the day 7-for-10 overall, 4-of-6 from behind the arc and 4-of-4 from the free throw line to earn her 22 points. She also had a team-high five assists. Morgan Wrightson added 12 points for the Terriers, and Daniella Motley collected her second double-double of the season and fourth of her career with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Ali Ford paced all scorers with 27 points for Elon. She was 8-of-13 from the floor including 7-of-10 from three and made all four of her free throw attempts. Kelsey Evans and Aiesha Harper added 11 points. Harper and Lisa Archie had a team-high seven rebounds. Harper also had a game-high six assists.
Wofford took an early 11-8 lead on an April Moorhouse post move and basket seven minutes into play, but Elon would close the gap to 11-10 on two Kelsey Harris free throws on the next Phoenix possession.
Wofford pulled away to four points, 16-12, with a Rachel Brittenham three with 10:16 to play, but Elon mounted a 6-0 run to take an 18-16 lead following a Kelsey Evans jumper two minutes later.
Woford tied the game at following a Brittenham three and a Morgan Wrightson free throw with just under nine minutes to play. Neither team could pull away over the next three minutes until the Terriers broke a tie at 28 with a 10-0 run to take a 38-28 lead with 3:52 before the half. Five Brittenham points highlighted Wofford’s run.
Elon mounted their own run, 12-0, as they took a 40-38 with 15 seconds to play, but Wofford’s Lauren Kirby got an offense rebound and put-back at the buzzer to tie the game at 40 at the half.
Brittenham had 16 points at the half to lead all scorers, while Ford had ten points to lead to Phoenix.
Wofford started the half with a 5-0 run highlighted by a Wrightson three-point play to take a 45-0 lead three minutes into the half, however Elon put together a 9-2 run to take a five point lead, 52-47, with 12:23 to play in the half.
Three minutes later Wofford used an 8-0 run to take a 55-52 lead following two Brittenham free throws. Logan Morris had a clutch three during the Terrier run.
The Terriers held their slight lead until back-to-back Ford threes gave the Phoenix a 62-59 lead with just under five minutes to play. A Brittenham layup and Kirby free throw gave the game its ninth tie at 62 with 4:15 to remaining.
Elon strung together a 5-0 on a Ford three and layup to put Elon in control, 67-62, with just over two minutes to play. Elon pushed its lead to eight points, 72-64 and 74-66, before Wrightson hit a layup at the buzzer to give the game the final of 74-68 Elon.
Wofford finished the game shooting 36 percent from the floor, 23 percent from three and 63 percent from the line, while Elon was 41 percent overall, 55 percent from behind the arc and 92 percent from the free throw line. Wofford hit 17 of their 27 free throws, compared to Elon’s 11-of-12 from the line. Against the nation’s leading three-point defensive team, the Phoenix made 11 of their 20 shots from behind the arc, while Wofford only made five of its 22 attempts.
The Terriers will host North Carolina A&T on Thursday, December 22 at 2 p.m. for their final game of the 2011 calendar year.
