Elon, N.C. -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team played strong through 25 minutes before the fatigue of playing with mainly seven players set in as Elon pulled away to win 86-66 on Friday in the season opener for both schools.

Bojana Dimitrov had two of her team-high 21 points to make the score 45-40 with just over 16 minutes remaining in the second half. From that point, Elon went on a 13-3 run and led by double digits the rest of the way. The Penguins' 66 points was one shy of their season-high from last year.

Elon played up-tempo throughout the contest and got a game-high 23 points from freshman Ali Ford, the 2009 North Carolina Female Athlete of the Year as a high school senior. Three other players scored in double figures, and freshman Kelsey Evans had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The contest featured two teams who combined to win eight games a season ago, but both teams played much better in the first 25 minutes than those records would indicate. Both programs are in the second season under a new head coach.

YSU shot 40 percent in the first half but just 32.5 percent in the second half it began to tire. The Penguins also went 6-for-13 from the free throw line and allowed Elon to get 46 points in the paint, many of which came on layups. Elon shot a blistering 63 percent in the second half and 58.9 percent overall.

YSU forced 28 turnovers and converted those into a 28-4 edge in points off turnovers. The Penguins shot 19 more times than the Phoenix but had six fewer field goals.

Macey Nortey tied her career high with 14 points, Kenya Middlebrooks matched hers with two, and freshman Maryum Jenkins had eight in her collegiate debut. Freshman Brandi Brown and senior Rachael Manuel tied for the game high with 10 rebounds apiece.

A Manuel bucket put the Penguins ahead 23-19 with 8:35 remaining in the first half, but Elon went on a 16-3 run over the next 4:20 to go up 35-26. Nortey's jumper with 2:21 remaining cut the Phoenix lead to 37-32, and Elon added a basket with fewer than five seconds remaining to take a 39-32 lead at the break.

Dimitrov had 12 points in the first half on 5-for-12 shooting, and both Nortey and Jenkins had six apiece. YSU made 40 percent of its field goals in the first half and held an 18-4 edge in points off turnovers. Ford had 15 or Elon's 39 first-half points and hit all four of the Phoenix's treys. She also had five assists in the opening period.

Senior Kaitlyn March played in two minutes as she continues to work her way back from a sprained ankle. Nortey played a game-high 37 minutes, and Dimitrov's 35 minutes were the second-most.

YSU will play one more contest at the Elon Tip-Off Classic on Saturday against High Point at 7 p.m. The Panthers lost to Navy 70-67 in overtime on Friday in the first contest of the tournament.