Senior Essence Baucom scored 15 points and made three treys in the win over Hofstra.
Top-Seeded Elon Advances to Semifinals
Vicki Friedman
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HARRISONBURG, Va. (March 9, 2017) – Four players scored in double figures as top-seeded Elon (25-6) advanced to the semifinals of the 2017 CAA Women’s Basketball Championship on Thursday with a 78-50 victory over ninth-seeded Hofstra (13-18) at the JMU Convocation Center. It’s the second time in Elon’s three years in the league that the Phoenix has reached the semifinals of the conference tournament.
How it Happened
The Phoenix built a 39-20 first-half lead, shooting a sizzling 64 percent from the field while limiting the Pride to 26.7 percent. Senior
Jenifer Rhodes scored 10 of her 14 points in the first two quarters.
Baucom finished with 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting, draining all three of her treys from beyond the arc. Prior to Thursday’s game, the senior guard had only hit six of her 30 shots from the three-point line.
Hofstra never drew closer than 16 in the second half.
By the numbers
- Elon shot 52.6 percent from the field and outdid Hofstra in the paint 40-14.
- The Phoenix has won its last six and 13 of its last 14.
- Junior
Shay Burnett added 11 and senior
Lauren Brown 10 for Elon. Senior
Lenaira Ruffin had eight points and nine boards.
- Hofstra’s
Ashunae Durant, averaging a league-best 10.8 rebounds in the CAA, picked up three first-half fouls that limited her to two points and one rebound in seven minutes in the first half. Durant finished with seven rebounds and five points and fouled out in 23 minutes.
- Elon’s win was its third of the season over the Pride. The Phoenix defeated the Pride at home and on the road by 11 points during the regular season.
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Aleana Leon scored a career-high 22 points for the Pride.
- Hofstra senior
Krystal Luciano concludes her career with 546 assists.
They Said It
Elon Head Coach Charlotte Smith: “It’s me the coach who’s never satisfied… They know me. They know I want them to be the absolute best. They’ve been pushed to strive for excellence and I want the best for them. They did a great job out there defensively; offensively we’ve got some kinks to work out.”
Smith on Essence Baucom: “Confidence comes from successful repetitions. She’s done a really good job of getting in the gym and getting up extra shots.”
Elon senior Jenifer Rhodes: “We came out with energy. We wanted them to take tough shots… We’ve been here before; we know how to take care of business.”
Hofstra Head Coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey: “Elon came out and showed what a No. 1 team was about.”
On her seniors Sydni Epps, Sandra Dongmo and Krystal Luciano: “They’ve had a bright spot in their career, especially Sydni Epps, who’s been here for five years. … There’s a lot for them to hang their hat on for what they’ve done for Hofstra.”
Hofstra’s Aleana Leon on looking ahead to next year and what it will bring: “More experience for sure. Now the freshmen are going to be sophomores…Get ready, spring, summer and then next season.”
Next up for Elon
The Phoenix will play the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between No. 4 William and Mary and No. 5 Delaware at 4:30 p.m. on Friday in the CAA Tournament semifinals. The Phoenix is 4-0 over the two teams this season.