Elon WBB Drops Heartbreaker to Hofstra

ELON, N.C. – The Elon women’s basketball team had the chance to send the game into overtime as the Phoenix moved the ball down the court with 4.2 seconds remaining but could not get the shot up in time, giving Hofstra the 55-53 win today, Feb. 15, in Alumni Gym.

With the Pride leading, 52-50, Shay Burnett hit a jumper to tie the game and was fouled on the basket. She converted the old-fashioned three-point opportunity to put the Phoenix up by one, 53-50, with 36 seconds remaining. Hofstra was then sent to the line, missing both attempts, but grabbed the offensive board and eventually hit a basket to lead 54-53 with five ticks left. The Pride stole the ball on the inbound and was fouled, missing the first and making the second, to move ahead by a bucket, 55-53, setting up the last chance for the Phoenix.

“I thought we played solid defensively in the first half and that was our goal – to amp up the defense,” said Elon head coach Charlotte Smith. “In the second half, we lost our poise in terms of boxing out, being tough and getting the loose balls at critical times in the game.”

Elon (14-10, 7-6) finished 20-of-49 from the field to shoot 41 percent, including 4-of-14 from long distance (27 percent), and went 9-of-16 from the charity stripe for a 56 percent mark. The defense tallied six blocks for the second straight game, while the offense scored 28 points in the paint.

Burnett scored a team-high 11 points and had three assists and three steals followed by 10 points from Zora Stephenson. Sam Coffer led the team on the boards with eight rebounds and had seven points.

Hofstra (16-9, 9-5) went 20-of-60 for a 33 percent mark from the field and only hit three baskets from beyond the arc (21 percent) but claimed the edge on the glass, 45-34. The Pride also had 15 points off Elon turnovers and 14 second-chance points. Anjie White scored a game-high 16 points, while Kelly Loftus and Ashunae Durant also posted double figures.

With the game tied at five-all, a three by Coffer sparked a 10-2 run by the Phoenix to take a 15-7 advantage with 14:33 to play in the first half. After the Pride pulled within six, 19-13, the maroon and gold moved ahead by its largest edge of the game, 28-15, after a Burnett layup with 7:20 on the clock. Hofstra then put together an 11-3 run to cut its deficit to five, 31-26, before Elon moved ahead 33-26 at the break.

Elon shot 46 percent from the field in the opening half, including 38 percent from three, while the Pride shot 26 percent and led on the boards 24-19.

Out of the break, Hofstra trimmed the Elon lead to three, 33-30, before a jumper and a three by Stephenson put the maroon and gold back up by eight, 38-30, with 15:42 left. After the Pride made it a 38-37 game, Coffer grabbed an offensive rebound and made the layup for a 40-37 edge with 12:01 on the clock.

Hofstra went on a 7-0 run to lead by four, 44-40, with under eight to go before the Phoenix responded with the next six points to move ahead again by two, 46-44, off an Essence Baucom jumper. Elon would lead 50-46 with 2:27 remaining before the Pride took the 52-50 advantage to set up the final minute of the game.

Elon travels to Boston for its next game on Thursday, Feb. 19, at Northeastern for a 7 p.m. tip in the Cabot Center.