#1 Elon Headed to First CAA Title Game

3/10/2017 6:30:03 PM

Vicki Friedman

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Harrisonburg, Va. (March 10, 2017) – Top-seeded Elon advanced to its first CAA Women’s Basketball Championship title game since joining the league on Friday, muscling past fourth-seeded William & Mary, 88-60, at the JMU Convocation Center.

The Phoenix (26-6) will meet the winner of the nightcap featuring No. 2 and host James Madison (23-7) and No. 3 Drexel (21-9) in Saturday’s 7:00 p.m. title game which airs live on Comcast SportsNet. JMU swept Elon this season, and Elon swept Drexel.

The Phoenix dominated the paint, 50-26, and the boards, 42-22, against a gritty Tribe team to reach the milestone. They are a win shy of advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. Elon is making its first-ever title game appearance under Head Coach Charlotte Smith and their first such appearance since the 2000-01 Big South Conference finals.

“We talked about today and taking that next step for our program and making history,” said Smith. “We talked about the things that have gotten us this far, which is defense and rebounding.”

Elon executed both with clinical precision with Lauren Brown’s 25 points leading four players in double figures as the Phoenix shot 56.5 percent from the field. Junior Shay Burnett scored 20 points on a 7-of-8 effort with five assists. Junior Malaya Johnson had 15 and senior Jenifer Rhodes accounted for the game’s lone double-double, (12pts, 10reb).

“The beauty of the team is the balance of this team so I’m extremely proud of the effort today,” Smith said. “We did a good job today of not only penetrating but penetrating under control.”

Brown, who scored 17 points in the opening 10 minutes, misfired on just three of her 13 shots and added four assists.

“Coach Smith always talks to me about making sure I come out aggressive, so that was one thing I focused on,” Brown said. “Once I get my confidence going I like to continue to attack.”

Elon led 42-32 at the break, using its physicality in the paint for a plus-11 advantage on the boards. Burnett and Brown combined for 29 points on 11-of-13 shooting in the period, but the Tribe didn’t let it become a runaway.

Even with senior guard Marlena Tremba limited to 11 minutes in the first half after two fouls, the Tribe shot 50 percent, getting contributions from eight of its nine players.

But Elon opened the second half even stronger, scoring on four of its first seven possessions, a 10-2 run to lead 52-35. William & Mary never drew within single digits, outdone 23-14 in both quarters.

“We have players who are capable of stepping up every night and taking over a game, but we don’t have to because we have so much balance,” Smith said.

Tremba led William & Mary with 14 points and five assists. Senior Alexandra Masaquel scored 11 and Latrice Hunter and Bianca Boggs, each added nine.

The Tribe was playing in its first CAA Championship semifinal in 16 years. In defeating Delaware in Thursday’s quarterfinals, William & Mary tied its school record for most wins in a season. The Tribe (20-11) will likely receive a postseason bid to the WNIT.

“We hope we can represent the CAA in the WNIT,” Swanson said.

As for the Phoenix, they will represent the league in the championship.

“We worked really hard to position ourselves to be here,” said Smith, who pointed to the team’s summer trip to Italy as key to the Phoenix’s consistency.

“Everywhere I go, I always say and I truly feel there’s not a better time to be a Phoenix,” Brown said. “It’s a great time to be on Elon women’s basketball team.”