Comeback Not Enough for Elon Phoenix Women’s Basketball

BOONE, N.C. – The Elon women’s basketball team came close to erasing a once 15-point deficit against Appalachian State tonight, Feb. 17, but was not able to surpass the Mountaineers, falling 71-60 in the Holmes Center.

Lauren Brown and Zora Stephenson each finished with a team-high 14 points, while Stephenson went hit four threes in the game. Sam Coffer also scored in double figures with 13 points. Kelsey Harris ended the night with eight points, leaving her just 12 shy of the elusive 1,000-career point mark, and also posted a team-high nine rebounds.

The Phoenix (12-13, 8-6 SoCon) finished the night 23-of-63 from the field to shoot 37 percent, including a 36 percent mark from beyond the arc. On defense, the team posted six blocks.

The Mountaineers (11-14, 8-7 SoCon) won the battle on the boards, 48-39, and scored 22 second-chance points. ASU shot 41 percent from the field, 28-of-68, but was kept to a 14 percent clip from three after hitting only 1-of-7 attempts. League scoring leader Maryah Sydnor finished the game with 21 points to lead the Mountaineers.

After the Mountaineers opened up a 12-point advantage, 26-14, in the first 12 minutes of the game, the Phoenix closed the gap to eight, 30-22, after a jumper from Jessica Farmer with 5:25 left in the opening half. The maroon and gold cut a 15-point ASU lead to 11 at the break, 40-29, with the help of a 7-4 run in the final three minutes that included a steal and fast-break layup by Brown.

ASU shot 47 percent in the first half off a 17-of-36 performance from the field and out-rebounded Elon, 27-14. The Phoenix went 10-of-29 for a 35 percent mark and recorded five blocks in the first 20 minutes.

At the beginning of the second half, Coffer grabbed an offensive rebound after her own miss to score and shave the disadvantage to nine, 44-35. After a three by Stephenson pulled the Phoenix within six, 48-42, another triple from Stephenson and a jumper by Harris on back-to-back possessions made it a two-point game, 49-47, with 11:56 remaining.

Elon used a 7-0 run with the help of five points from Stephenson to pull within one, 56-55, with 7:30 to play. The Mountaineers managed to score the next eight points to go back up by nine, 64-55. The Phoenix would come as close as six points with less than four minutes to play, but could not finish off the comeback attempt against the Mountaineers.

Elon will return home for its next game against Wofford on Saturday, Feb. 22, in a 4 p.m. tip. The game will also be Senior Day for Harris and Candice Silas.