Appalachian State 75, UNCG 56
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Appalachian State University took the game over UNCG on Sunday afternoon, winning with a final score of 75-56.

Maryah Sydnor scored 27 points to lead the Mountaineers (6-11, 3-4 SoCon) to a victory over the Spartans (5-13, 1-6) and help notch Appalachian's third SoCon win.

The beginning of the game was a battle, featuring five tied scores. The Mountaineers would pull ahead at the 13:51 mark with a jumper from Sydnor. From there the Apps would take control, going on a 12-3 run to take the lead 22-13 with 9:20 to play in the first.

The Spartans trailed by ten points at halftime with a score of 36-26.

Sydnor led the team at the half, recording 10 points, while Bria Huffman added eight. Michelle Taylor led the team on the boards, grabbing six rebounds in the first half, while also dishing out six assists.

Appalachian shot 55.2 percent (16-29) from the floor in the first.

UNCG was led by Janae' Stevenson with seven points by halftime. The Spartans shot a 42.9 percent (9-21) field goal percentage. 

The Spartans would came out hard in the second half, cutting the lead to nine points, but Appalachian maintained composure, leading 50-36 with 11:51 to play.

The Mountaineers would control the rest of the game, making the final score 75-56.

Sydnor led the game in scoring with her 27 points, followed by Huffman, recording 14 points. 

Taylor found success at the point guard position in the win, leading the team with nine assists and grabbing seven rebounds on the day. KeKe Cooper led the team on the boards with eight rebounds and found eight points.

The Mountaineers shot 50.8 percent from the floor in the victory, while grabbing 38 rebounds and turning the ball over 19 times.

Stevenson led the Spartans with 13 points and six rebounds, while Jarae Savage followed with 10 points. 

UNCG shot 40.8 percent from the floor on the day, while pulling down 25 rebounds and recording 20 turnovers.

The Mountaineers return to action in the High Country when they take on Davidson on Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. 

 

Elon 67, Western Carolina 52
ELON, N.C. – Off the heels of a 22-7 run to close out the final 10 minutes of the game, the Elon women’s basketball team posted its third straight win with a 67-52 victory over Western Carolina today, Jan. 19, in Alumni Gym.

The Phoenix (8-10, 4-3 SoCon) hit 25-of-65 from the field for a 39 percent shooting mark, including 40 percent from beyond the arc, and finished with 30 points in the paint. Elon forced 16 Catamount turnovers and scored 21 points off those WCU errors. The maroon and gold also won the battle on the boards, 50-40.

Western Carolina (9-9, 3-4 SoCon) finished 21-of-62 (34 percent) after only hitting 5-of-28 from three-point range for an 18 percent clip.

Kelsey Harris led the maroon and gold with 15 points and four assists. Sam Coffer posted her third double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Lenaira Ruffin also scored in double figures with 11 points.

WCU’s Rena Wakama scored a game-high 16 points off six field goals.

Early in the first half, Elon put together a 17-2 run that was capped by a Ruffin three to put the Phoenix up by 12, 19-7, at the 13:10 mark. The Catamounts responded to even the score at 25-all with under five minutes remaining. Right before the buzzer, Coffer put the maroon and gold up by three, 31-28, off a layup after her own miss and an offensive board.

The Phoenix shot 35 percent in the first 20 off 12-of-24 from the field and held the advantage in rebounds, 26-19. WCU went 11-of-30 to shoot 37 percent.

The first 10 minutes of the second frame was tight with neither team taking more than a three-point advantage. With the score tied at 47-all and 9:26 on the clock, a layup by Ruffin off an Autumn Carter pass sparked the Phoenix as the team outscored the Catamounts 12-2 in the next seven minutes to make it a 61-49 lead. Coffer would score Elon’s final four points to help the maroon and gold finish the game on a 22-7 run and give the maroon and gold the final 15-point advantage.