ELON, N.C.- In a game that saw five lead changes and nine ties Appalachian State University women's basketball came away with its first SoCon win of the season as the Mountaineers (2-11, 1-4) were able to hang on down the stretch and defeat Elon (1-12, 0-7) 63-59.
Elon jumped out to an early 6-0 lead in the first minutes of action, scoring all of their points off layups, until Charmene Means was able to get Appalachian in the scoring column, hitting a turnaround jumper at 16:15 to give ASU its first points of the game. The Phoenix responded quickly, as Tiara Gause nailed a three pointer to give the Phoenix an early 9-2 advantage.
Sam Ramirez came back down the court and drained a three of her own to make it a four point game at the 14:53 mark.
Early guard play help to propel the Apps, with Means, Ramirez and Spencer scoring the Mountaineers first ten points.
Means finished with a career-high ten points, with Ramirez and Spencer having 14 and eight points on the evening.
Brittany Mixon was able to get the App's inside game going, as the senior scored six of ASU's points over a two minute span, to give Elon its smallest lead at one point, 21-20 with 2:36 to go in the first.
Appalachian continued to chip away and was able to knot the game at 27 apiece with 38 seconds to go before intermisson off another Ramirez three pointer.
The two squads looked to be tied headed into the break, but Gause was able to capitalize on an ASU turnover, scoring a layup off a fast break to take the 29-27 lead into halftime.
In first the first three and a half minutes of second half play the two squads battled, with the score being tied three times until Mixon was able to give the Apps their first lead of the game, hitting a layup at 16:30 to put ASU up 35 to 33. The senior finished the night with a career-high 25 points and also hauled in 12 rebounds for her third double-double of the season.
The lead did not last for long as Courtney Medley came back down the court, hitting a three pointer to put the Phoenix back on top 36-35.
Appalachian regained the advantage once more at the 13:43 mark as Canesha Edwards became an offensive threat for the Black and Gold, downing two free throws and hitting a jumper the next play down the court to put ASU up 41 to 36. Edwards had ten rebounds, six points, three assists, two blocks and two steals in the contest.
Cotton would put the Phoenix up 52-50 by hitting two free throws at 4:36, but then Ramirez came down the court and nailed a trey to put ASU back up 53 to 52.
Amber Wall had a chance to give Elon the lead but hit only one of two free throws making the contest notted at 53.
Spencer drained four clutch free throws in the final seconds of play helping to ice the game and give Appalachian the four point win.
ASU looks to carry its momentum into its next game, as the Apps return home to host the College of Charleston in game one of a double-header. The contest is set to begin at 1 p.m. in the Holmes Center.
