GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Kelsey Ellis connected on five 3-pointers — all in the first half — to give Furman an early spark on the way to a 75-50 victory over North Greenville in women's basketball play Monday evening at Timmons Arena.

Ellis, a junior wing from Pooler, Ga., came off the bench firing for Furman (7-3), connecting on the first of her 3-pointers six minutes into the contest to put the Paladins up 12-11.  She drained four more treys over the next eight minutes, tickling nothing but net each time, to key a 23-3 run that gave Furman a 32-15 lead.

The Paladins were never threatened thereafter in posting their third straight win with two games remaining in the current season-long five-game homestand.  The victory was the eighth straight for Furman in Timmons Arena, where the Paladins are now 17-2 in their last 19 games.

Ellis, whose 5-for-5 performance from 3-point range tied a Furman single game record for 3-point shooing percentage, registered her work in just 16 minutes of action as Paladin head coach Jackie Carson went deep into her bench for much of the second half.

Sidelined for a stretch in the first half with a cut on her forehead sustained in a collision with a teammate, sophomore point guard Whitney Bunn returned the floor to tally 14 points, which she combined with seven assists, six rebounds, and two steals.

Brittany Hodges finished with 10 points and nine rebounds in just 17 minutes, sitting out much of the second half after the Paladins opened the second period with a 12-0 run to take a 50-21 lead.

Erika Cobb led North Greenville (3-4) with 11 points.

The game marked the first meeting between the two Greenville County schools since the 1977-78 season.

Furman dominated nearly all phases of the contest, particularly in rebounding as the Paladins posted a 58-30 advantage on the boards led by freshman Cierra Carter's game high 11 caroms.

The Paladins' 10-for-17 shooting from 3-point range (58.8 percent) keyed the win. For the game Furman shot 42.3 percent, connecting on 30-of-71 shots.

North Greenville found the mark on just 19-of-62 field goal attempts (29.7 percent).

Furman will entertain UNC Asheville on Wednesday in a 7:00 p.m. contest at Timmons Arena.

Hunter Reid, Furman Sports Information