Vandy’s Three-Point Shooting Overpowers Elon Women’s Basketball

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt (5-2) hit 11 threes against the Elon women’s basketball team (2-3) today, Nov. 29, to claim a 88-66 win over the Phoenix in Memorial Gym in the first game of the Commodore’s Thanksgiving tournament.

The Commodores shot 49 percent from the field, going 34-of-69, including its 11 threes for a 52 percent clip from beyond the arc. Elon finished with a 43 percent shooting mark, hitting 23-of-54 shots from the field. The Phoenix was successful in 15 of its 17 trips to the line to reach a team season-high 88 percent from the charity stripe. On the boards, Vanderbilt finished with 41 rebounds to Elon’s 28.

Despite the losing effort, Elon put four players in double figures. Shannen Cochraham posted two new career highs with 16 points and six field goals, while also leading the team with seven boards. Rookie Lenaira Ruffin scored in double digits for the first time in her young career with 10 points, going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Zora Stephenson recorded 14 points, while Sam Coffer finished with 10.

With Elon trailing the Commodores by just three, 8-5, after a Coffer jumper early in the first half, Vanderbilt hit three triples in a row in less than 90 seconds to jump out to a 12-point lead, 17-5. With 20 seconds left in the first frame, Vandy’s Jasmine Jenkins was called for a technical foul, sending Stephenson to the line to knock down two shots to make it a 55-31 game at the intermission.

The Commodores finished the first half with a 59 percent shooting mark from the field, including a blistering 64 percent from beyond the arc after making 9-of-14 threes. The Phoenix shot 38 percent from the field in the first half, knocking down three threes to go 11-of-29.

Vanderbilt continued its strong play into the second half, opening up as much as a 29-point lead, 68-39, with 15:26 on the clock. Elon closed the gap to 14 after an old-fashioned three point play by Ruffin sparked an 8-0 run by the Phoenix to move the score to 74-60 with under six minutes to play. It was too little too late as the Commodores closed out the game with a 22-point advantage.

The Phoenix will play either Wisconsin or Mercer in the consolation game at 4 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 30.