ELON, N.C. - For the second night in a row, the Phoenix forced an exciting ending but came up short as Campbell defeated Elon 57-51 in game four of the 2007 ISES Cancer Awareness Tip-Off Saturday night in Alumni Gym. The Phoenix drops to 0-2 on the season, while the Camels improve to 1-1.
Campbell's Marlena Murphy led all players with 24 points, 16 of which came from the charity stripe and was named game MVP. For the Phoenix, senior Tierra Bumbrey netted a team-leading 19 points and received the game's Hustle Award.
The Phoenix improved after the halftime break, holding Campbell to 23.8% shooting and 0-of-4 from beyond the arc, but free throws were the difference in the game as the Camels scored 26 points in 34 trips to the line to the Phoenix's seven points in nine attempts.
Elon took a 31-30 lead, its first of the game, at 16:17 as sophomore Urysla Cotton landed a jump shot that capped of an 8-0 run by the Phoenix, but Campbell quickly recovered and regained the lead with six-straight made free throws.
The Phoenix never held a lead through the entire first half, but Cotton brought the home team within one as the teams headed to their lockerrooms at the end of the first half with the score 27-26 in favor of the Fighting Camels.
Bumbrey tallied 11 first-half points and grabbed three steals, while freshman Julie Taylor netted all nine of her points in frame one.
Kitara McMoore's first points of the game came with five minutes remaining in the game, though she finished with six points and six rebounds.
The Camels came up with 19 points off of Elon turnovers and 15 points off offensive rebounds.
Elon will host North Carolina Central Monday night at 7 p.m. in the final game of the tournament, while Campbell will host UNC Wilmington Wednesday, Nov. 14.
Game Three: William & Mary 87, Penn 64
William and Mary's women's basketball team continued its undefeated season Saturday night, out-hustling the Quakers from Pennsylvania to the tune of 87-64 in the third game of the ISES Cancer Awareness Tip-Off.
The College finished as the only team to win both of its games in the four-team event. Taking MVP honors for the second night in a row was senior Devin James, who flirted with a triple-double and finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, and a career-high nine assists.
Freshman Katy Oblinger earned the Hustle Award after an outstanding second-half in which she turned up the pressure on the Quakers, finishing with five points, three assists, and two steals.