Demon Deacons Surge Past Elon WBB Phoenix

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University women’s basketball team saw its four-game win streak snapped at the hands of Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 26, in a 78-68 setback at Alumni Gym despite a career and game-high 25 points from senior Lauren Brown and a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double from Shay Burnett.

BOX SCORE

Elon (4-2) battled back from a nine-point first quarter deficit to take the lead going into the third, but could not hold off the Demon Deacons (5-1) in the fourth quarter for its first loss since its season opener at Green Bay on Nov. 11. Overall, the Phoenix shot just at 40 percent from the field in the game (24-of-60) while going 2-for-8 from behind the three-point line.

Brown pumped in her new career-high after shooting 9-for-16 from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. Burnett had her second 20-point effort of the season and her first double-double of the year while going 7-of-15. Malaya Johnson was the only other Phoenix player in double figures with 11 points while rookie Ra’Shika White added nine points off the bench.

The Demon Deacons had a balanced effort with five double-digit scorers. Ariel Stephenson had 20 to lead Wake Forest while Milan Quinn and Amber Campbell both had 15. Quinn had a double-double for the Demon Deacons with 10 boards.

The Rundown
Both teams were competitive to start the game with both squads deadlocked at 13-all after a Burnett three-pointer at the 3:39 mark in the opening period. Elon however went into a lull as Wake Forest closed out the quarter on a 9-0 run to give itself a 22-13 advantage at the end of the first.

The Phoenix bounced back in the start of the second, despite falling behind by as much as 12 at the 7:04 mark, 27-15. Elon went on a 16-1 run over the next five minutes to take a 31-28 lead on an Essence Baucom layup that forced a Wake Forest timeout. After a White free throw put the Phoenix ahead 32-31 with 1:25 left in the half, the Demon Deacons closed out the quarter on a 4-0 run to go into halftime ahead 35-32.

Both teams were evenly matched in the third period with neither squad able to take a big lead. Stephenson put Wake Forest ahead, 49-45, with 1:34 left in the quarter, but Elon responded with a 6-2 run to close out the third with Burnett scoring four points during the outing. Down one with four seconds left, Johnson hit a jump shot in the post off a great feed from Baucom as Elon took a 51-50 advantage going into the fourth.

That momentum quickly evaporated at the start of the fourth as the Demon Deacons opened the quarter on a 13-6 run that saw the Phoenix down by seven with 6:13 left in the game, 63-56. Three times the maroon and gold would get its deficit down to as close as four, but could not come any closer for the remainder of the contest as Elon saw its four-game win streak stopped by the Demon Deacons, 78-68.

Notable
• Brown’s surpassed her previous career-high of 18 that she set twice with the recent outing coming at NC State last season.
• This was the first meeting between the two programs in 36 years and the 17th overall. Elon had won the last contest in Winston-Salem, N.C., 100-87, and had won four straight in the series.
• Brown and Burnett became the first Elon teammates to score over 20 points in the same game since Dec. 22, 2013 when Autumn Carter (25) and Kelsey Harris (22) achieved that feat versus Mount Olive.
• Elon tied a season-high with five blocked shots in the contest. Johnson and White accounted for four of that total with each turning away a pair of shots.
• The Phoenix also tied its season single-game high mark with nine steals. Freshman Jada Graves tied a season-best with three steals in only 10 minutes of action.
• The Phoenix made just two (2-for-8) three-point field goals, its lowest output of the season.

Up Next
Elon hits the road for its next three games with the first coming at North Carolina on Sunday, Dec. 4. Tipoff for that contest is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.