Elie sisters star for CU, MTSU

London Elie basket puts Lady Bulldogs in front

MOBILE, Ala. — London Elie’s bucket with 58 seconds remaining put Cumberland ahead to stay and host Spring Hill College missed four chances at the game-winning field goal in the final minute in CU’s 64-63 overtime victory Saturday afternoon.

Jessica Pace led the Bulldogs with 21 points, 13 rebounds and five assists, her third double-double this season and ninth of her Bulldog career. Elie, a former Lebanon High star, added 16 points and eight boards while Josette Campbell recorded 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the win for Cumberland (4-0).

CU blew a nine-point lead in the final six minutes of regulation, as the Badgers put together a 15-6 spurt to send the game to overtime. Bethany Collins started the run with a 3-pointer, April Bradford added an old-fashioned 3-point play and added a bucket and two free throws and Bria Bohanon made one free throw with 38 seconds remaining and two more with 15 seconds left, knotting the game at 56.

In overtime Elie netted a bucket and Pace made one free throw before a 3-pointer from Elissa Vandewaa tied the contest again, this time at 59. Campbell’s trifecta put the Bulldogs ahead 62-61 but Collins added two free throws with 1:16 left to put the Badgers back ahead. Elie’s winning basket came on an assist from Campbell and Elie missed a free throw to complete a 3-point play.

The teams exchanged turnovers after Elie’s bucket and SHC missed four shots in the last 22 seconds from Bradford, Tempey Hamilton, Washington and Vandewaa. Casie Cowan finally secured the final rebound with two seconds left, running out the clock.

Cumberland led 31-25 at halftime behind nine points from Elie, eight by Campbell and seven from Pace, as the Bulldogs shot 41 percent from the field and committed just five turnovers.

CU pushed its advantage to as many as 13 points early in the second half thanks to a 12-5 run to start the period highlighted by five points from Pace and a 3-pointer by TaCouya Allen. The Badgers answered with nine consecutive points, including 3-pointers from Natalie Harper and Collins, before a free throw from Allen and baskets by Elie and Campbell gave the Bulldogs a 48-39 lead with 8:35 remaining.

Cumberland opens Mid-South Conference action this week with contests at the University of Rio Grande on Thursday at 5 p.m. Central Time and second-ranked Shawnee State on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT. 

Elie's career-high 30 points carry Blue Raiders to WNIT Semifinals

MTSU visits Iowa on Wednesday

MT Athletic Communications

MURFREESBORO - Led by a career-high 30 points by senior forward Icelyn Elie, Middle Tennessee women's basketball defeated the Memphis Tigers, 82-68, on Sunday afternoon at the Murphy Center.

The win moved the Blue Raiders into the semifinals of the Preseason WNIT.

Elie, a former Lebanon High standout, made a career-high 13 field goals, including tying a career-high with three 3-pointers, and had five rebounds. Three other Blue Raiders scored in double-figures on Sunday. Ebony Rowe scored 19 points and pulled down a game-high seven rebounds. Kortni Jones had 14 points and a game-high eight assists. Shanice Cason was 6-for-6 at the free throw line, scoring 10 points with five rebounds and four assists.

Middle Tennessee (2-0) opened the game with a quick 8-2 spurt in the first 1:48, getting threes from Elie and Laken Leonard. Memphis (1-1) responded with an 8-2 run of its own as a Mooriah Rowser basket tied the game 10-10 with 15:47 remaining in the opening half. The Raiders took the lead back 12 seconds later on an Elie layup from Jones, then got a Shanice Cason basket and a three from Elie to take a 17-12 lead at the 14:01 mark of the opening half.

MTSU grew its lead to nine with 12:20 to play in the first as back-to-back triples by Jones and Elie made the score 25-16. Elie's three was her third of the first half, tying a career-high. Just as they did to start, the Tigers made a run to get back in the game. Ariel Hearn started an 11-0 Memphis run with a three, as layups by Jaymie Jackson and Nicole Dickson gave the Tigers their first lead of the game, 27-25, with 8:48 to go in the half. Memphis led 29-27 when MTSU got a basket from Ebony Rowe and a three from Jones to take a 32-29 lead. The Tigers closed to within one, 32-31, before a Rowe jumper started an 11-1 Raiders run that put MTSU in front 43-32. The Blue Raiders shot 65 perecent from the field in the first half to take a 45-36 lead into the locker room.

Memphis stayed within striking range to start the second half. The Tigers closed the gap to five, 49-44, at the 15:46 mark on an Ann Jones putback. MTSU pulled away with six straight points from Elie and Cason to take a 55-44 lead with 14:14 remaining, the Raiders' largest lead up to that point. The Tigers drew back to within seven with 12:56 to go on an Abdul-Qaadir basket to make the score 55-48, but the MT defense stepped it up from there.

The Blue Raiders held UM to three made field goals over the next 7:36 of play. During that stretch, MTSU got its lead back up to double-figures as a pair of Cason foul shots gave the Lady Raiders a 59-48 lead with 12:19 to play. The lead eventually grew to 15 at the 6:05 mark as an Elie steal turned into a fastbreak layup for Cason, putting MTSU ahead of the Tigers 70-55. Memphis only got as close as nine points the rest of the way. Rowe scored nine of the Blue Raiders' last 12 points to give MTSU the 82-68 win.

MTSU finished the game shooting 56 percent from the floor as Memphis shot 44 percent. The Lady Raiders out-rebounded the Tigers 32-to-31 and turned 16 Memphis turnovers into 18 points. MTSU also held a 42-28 advantage in points in the paint. Abdul-Qaadir led the Tigers with 16 points and four steals.

The Blue Raiders visit Iowa in the semifinals of the Preseason WNIT on Wednesday night. The Hawkeyes defeated Illinois State 74-64 on Sunday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

NOTES

Icelyn Elie tied a career-high with three triples in the first eight minutes of the game ... Elie set a career-high with 13 field goals made and 30 points ... Breaking her previous best of 29 points and 12 field goals against UALR on March 6, 2012 ... Shanice Cason set a season-high with five rebounds ... Kortni Jones tallied eight assists in the span of 40 minutes ... Middle Tennessee advances to the semifinals of the Preseason WNIT Tournament for the first time.