Elon Women’s Basketball Phoenix Grounds Eagles with 85-60 Victory

ELON, N.C. – With the help of a 32-6 run that spanned 10 minutes through both halves, the Elon women’s basketball team recorded its second-straight win with a strong 85-60 victory over Georgia Southern today, Feb. 8, in its annual Play 4Kay game in Alumni Gym.

“I’m excited about this win,” said Elon head coach Charlotte Smith. “I thought we played an outstanding game today and I think we’re starting to let the things define us that we want to define us. That is defense and rebounding. I thought we did a great job with our defensive intensity, focus and did an outstanding job on the boards. When we control the things that we can control, great things happen.”

Elon (10-12, 6-5 SoCon) posted its highest point output of the season off a 34-of-71 performance from the field, including 42 points in the paint, to shoot 48 percent. From beyond the arc, the Phoenix shot 64 percent, knocking down 7-of-11 shots. Elon won the battle on the boards, 46-41, and forced a season-high 18 turnovers and converted those miscues into 27 points.

GSU (7-16, 5-7 SoCon) finished 24-of-70 from the field for a 34 percent mark but only shot 24 percent from long distance (6-of-25). MiMi DuBose led the Eagles with a team-high 11 points.

Rookie Jenifer Rhodes scored a career-high 20 points after hitting another career-high nine field goals and tallied seven rebounds. Zora Stephenson went 6-of-9 on the day, including 4-of-5 from three, for 16 points. Kelsey Harris finished with 15 points and seven assists, while Sam Coffer also scored in double figures with 12 points. Lenaira Ruffin led the maroon and gold on the boards with eight rebounds.

With the score tied at seven-all, the Phoenix scored the next eight points with the help of two threes by Stephenson for a 15-7 lead after five minutes of play. The Eagles pulled back within five, 35-30, after a three by Lacie Dowling with under four minutes left in the first frame. Elon responded with the final seven points of the half, taking a 42-30 advantage at the break after a Lauren Brown three put the Phoenix up by a dozen.

Elon went 16-of-38 in the first 20 to shoot 42 percent, including 5-of-7 from long distance (71 percent), and outrebounded the Eagles, 24-21. GSU shot 37 percent (13-of-25) in the frame and only hit 4 of its 14 three attempts.

The Phoenix carried the momentum into the second half, opening on a 25-6 run that was capped when Shannen Cochraham grabbed an offensive board and put the ball in for a layup, 67-36. The maroon and gold continued its advantage, equaling its largest lead of the game of 31 points twice more before finishing with a 25-point win.

Elon will play another home game on Monday, Feb. 10, hosting Davidson in a 7 p.m. tip in Alumni Gym.