Tonia Gerty (Port Orange, Fla.) scored 20 points, while Ericka Williams (Blackville, S.C.) added 15, to lead the College of Charleston Women's basketball team to the 85-55 victory over Elon in front of 207 fans at Alumni Gym in Burlington, N.C.

Charleston improves to 6-2 overall and 1-1 in the Southern Conference.  Elon drops to 1-8 overall and 0-3 in the league.

The first 10 minutes were a close affair as the Cougars, although leading much of the stanza, could not gain more than a four point lead.  A three-pointer by Courtney Medley gave Elon a 20-19 lead with 9:58 remaining in the half.  Charleston responded with a 17-2 run over the next six minutes to build a 14-point, 36-22 lead with 3:52 left.  Elon cut the margin to 10 at 40-30 with 1:22 remaining but Charleston rattled off six unanswered points to go into the locker room leading 46-30.

Elon was held to just one field goal in the first nine-and-a-half minutes of the second half as the Cougars built a 21-point, 59-38 lead before a jumper by Medley ended the drought again for the Phoenix.  Elon was able to cut the margin to 19 one more time with 6:25 to go but a 15-4 run down the stretch by the Cougars gave CofC the final 30-point win.

Charleston shot a season-high 59.0 percent from the field, including 60.6 in the first half.  Elon shot 28.3 for the game.  For the second time this season, the Cougars held an opponent to under 30 percent shooting.  With the win CofC is now 24-0 when holding opponents to under 30 percent since joining the league in 1998.

The Cougars were eight-for-11 from beyond the three-point arc, while the Phoenix were just four-for-15.  The Cougars were just eight-for-11 from the charity stripe compared to 21-for-33 for Elon.

Charleston out-rebounded Elon 37-33, while turnovers were even at 21 apiece.  The Cougars scored 44 points in the paint, compared to 16 for the Phoenix.

Following Gerty and Williams with there 20 and 15 points, respectively, was Deidra Jones (Irmo, S.C.) with 12 and Jade Hughes (Spartanburgm S,C,) with 11.  Williams and Brooke Kotcella (Anderson, S.C.) led in rebounds with seven each.  Sarah Moye (Alpharetta, Ga.) pulled down two rebounds which put her over the 500 career rebound mark.  She became just the seventh player in CofC Division I history to do so.

Medley led Elon with 16 points and eight rebounds.  Urysla Cotton followed with 13 points.

Elon travels to Chattanooga Dec. 17 for a 7:00 p.m. game.  The Cougars are at Western Carolina Dec. 19 for a 7:00 p.m. game.