#articleRelated { display: none !important; } Rachel King scored 22 points and Patrice Bryant netted 20 points as the College of Charleston defeated Elon 86-68 in Southern Conference women's basketball action at Kresse Arena. Marketta Talley set career highs for the Cougars with 16 points and seven steals as the Cougars improve to 3-9 overall and 2-5 in SoCon play.

Holly Andrews posted 25 points for the Phoenix. Courtney Nyborg added a pair of career- highs with 22 points and 14 rebounds in the contest. The Phoenix fell to 7-6 overall and 3-3 in the Southern Conference.

The Cougars shot a blistering 64.5 percent in the first half en route to a 50-30 lead. King set the pace for Charleston in the first 20 minutes with 19 points on 7-for-7 shooting including 5-for-5 from the three-point line. Bryant added 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting.

Charleston started the game by scoring the first seven points including Talley's lay-up just over two minutes into the game. The Phoenix rallied and tied the game up a 11 on two Andrews free throws. With the score 26-22 with 8:22 to play in the first half the Cougars went on an 11-0 run capped by King's three pointer from the top of the key. King knocked down another three with 31 seconds left in the half to give the Cougars' their largest lead of the half at 50-30.

The Cougars picked up where they left off in the first few minutes of the half and Melissa Chambers converted the lay-up with 16:27 to play Charleston led 58-32. The Phoenix got as close as 17 at 62-45 when Courtney Nyborg banked in the lay-up. But the Cougars pulled away and Bryant knocked down the mid-range jumper to put the lead back up to 19.

It was the Cougars second consecutive win for the Cougars, which defeated Winthrop on January 8, 71-57 in Rock Hill, SC. The win marked the first time since December 2, 2002, when they were in the middle of a five-game winning streak, that the Cougars have won back-to-back games.

The Cougars host UNC Greensboro in Southern Conference play on Monday night at 7:00 at Kresse Arena. The Phoenix travel to take on Georgia Southern on Monday at 5:15.