Elon WBB Three-Point Shooting Lifts Phoenix Over Tigers

TOWSON, Md. – Off a blistering 15 baskets from beyond the arc, the Elon women’s basketball team claimed an 84-70 victory over Towson tonight, Feb. 5, in SECU Arena. The 84 points by the Phoenix marks Elon’s highest point output of the season.

The Phoenix (13-8, 6-4) finished with a season-high 58 percent from the field after going 28-of-48, including the 15-of-24 mark from three for 63 percent, both season-highs. Elon also finished 13-of-17 from the charity stripe for 76 percent.

Six of Elon’s triples came from Zora Stephenson who finished 6-of-8 from three with 18 points, while Jenifer Rhodes went 7-of-12 from the field and 5-of-7 from the charity stripe for a team and season-high 19 points. Sam Coffer also finished with 18 points in the game after a 6-of-9 night, including four threes, while Lauren Brown made it four players in double figures for the Phoenix with 13 points. Malaya Johnson led the team on the boards with eight rebounds to help Elon to a 36-28 final advantage on the glass.

“I felt like we had a really good performance from the three-point line,” said Elon head coach Charlotte Smith. “I was excited for Sam (Coffer), I felt like it was a breakout game for her. I feel like this game will give her a lot of momentum offensively. I thought we did a good job of sharing the basketball, executing on offense and finding open people versus the zone. I’m proud of the team and that we came out with the win.”

Towson (9-14, 5-6) went 25-of-65 from the field to shoot 38 percent and finished 36 percent from three. Ciara Webb led the Tigers with 15 points, while LaTorri Hines-Allen, who ranks second in the league in scoring, finished with 14 points and six boards.

Coffer started the strong night from long distance with a three just nine seconds into the game. After a converted old-fashioned three-point play by Rhodes, Stephenson and Brown hit back-to-back triples to cap an 11-0 run for the Phoenix, forcing a Towson timeout, with Elon leading 16-5 and 14:12 on the clock.

Stephenson tallied her own pair of back-to-back threes within the span of 45 seconds to make it a 25-12 game with less than 10 minutes to play in the half. Towson then managed to score nine straight and pull within four, 25-21, with 6:49 remaining before Elon closed out the half on a 15-9 run to hold a 10-point advantage at the break, 40-30.

The Phoenix went 14-of-27 from the field (52 percent) in the opening half, including a 9-of-13 mark from three (69 percent), while also hitting all three of its chances at the line. The Tigers were 10-of-33 (30 percent) in the first frame with four threes and a 6-of-8 mark from the line. Elon led the advantage on the boards, 20-17.

In the first minute of the second half, Rhodes netted two jumpers to move the Phoenix ahead by 14, 44-30. With the maroon and gold leading by nine, 58-49, a Stephenson three started a 12-2 run to give Elon its biggest advantage of the game, 70-51, with just under nine minutes remaining. The Tigers managed to pull within single digits, 76-67, with 2:43 on the clock before the Phoenix closed on the game with an 8-3 advantage, including a three by Coffer with 62 seconds left, to close out the win.

Elon wraps up a three-game road swing with its next game at College of Charleston on Sunday, Feb. 8, in a 2 p.m. tip at TD Arena in Charleston, S.C.