Elkins, W. Va – Despite the delay of tipoff by 24 hours, the Golden Eagles would square off with the Senators of Davis & Elkins in the McDonnell Center on Sunday afternoon. Charleston had won four straight games prior to the contest, with three of those wins going towards their MEC record. The Senators looked for their first win since December 9^th when they took down Salem 62-61 on the road. 
 
The Basics
Location: McDonnell
Score: UC 70, D&E 58
Records: UC 9-7 (5-4 MEC), D&E 2-12 (1-8 MEC)
 
How it Happened
Charleston would take a three-score advantage to open up the first period as Clarrissa Francis' layup would put Charleston ahead 7-0. Francis would start her impressive day with nine of Charleston's 11 opening points in their 11-6 run. The Senators struggled to find points with a 29% shooting percentage, only scoring 10 points in the first quarter. Charleston would hold an 18-10 lead heading into the second period, where both sides would struggle offensively. The first basket of the quarter would not be scored until the 5:54 mark when Madison Butler ended the drought with a layup for the Senators. The Golden Eagles went from a 55% conversion rate from the floor in the first quarter to a 27% percentage, finding just 14 points in the quarter. On the other end, Charleston would hold the Senators to six points and a 13% shooting percentage. Nia Vanzant's triple with nine seconds left in the half would put Charleston ahead 32-16 going into the locker room. 
 
Charleston held as much as a 21-point lead midway through the third period before the Senators began to chip away at the large advantage. They would have a high mountain to climb, but they would eventually outscore Charleston 20-19 in the quarter to bring the lead down to 15. Davis & Elkins would go on an 11-1 run to begin the fourth period and got back to within five points of the Golden Eagles. Charleston would shoot 42% from the floor and knock home 9-12 of their free throw attempts, which became a crucial factor when the Senators began to knock on the door. The Golden Eagles would finish out the remainder of the fourth denying the comeback attempt from the Senators and securing the 70-58 victory for their fourth consecutive MEC win. 
 
Clarrissa Francis would finish the afternoon with 23 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 8-18 from the field. 
 
Up Next
Charleston will be back in the Wehrle Innovation Center this Wednesday as they take on the Concord Mountain Lions on January 24^th at 2:00 PM.