Elon University isn’t known for relying on the three-pointer. In fact, Charlotte Smith’s team only tried nine of them in its Southern Conference opener against Samford University on Dec. 14.
But, Elon junior guard Zora Stephenson happened to make six of those nine attempts, including a few down the stretch in key situations, to bolster the Phoenix to a 71-61 win.
The win snaps a five game losing streak for Elon, marking the first victory since a 75-64 triumph over University of North Carolina-Wilmington on Nov. 13.
Host Elon led by as much as 15 points in the second half, but the Bulldogs never relented and put up a 13-1 run as the Phoenix lead dwindled down to 58-55. But, Stephenson squashed that rally by draining a triple with just under five minutes to go.
Elon never looked back, even when freshman forward Jenifer Rhodes fouled out in the final minutes. Stephenson played 36 minutes, scoring a team-high 23 points. Senior guard Kelsey Harris (13 points), junior forward Sam Coffer (11) and Rhodes (10) also recorded double-figures in scoring.
The two SoCon foes went back and forth for much of the first half, each going on its own runs. Samford (2-7, 0-1) used a 10-0 run to take a 16-8 lead, before Stephenson ended that with a make from long distance. That led to a 20-9 Phoenix run, and Stephenson beat the buzzer on a three-pointer as time expired for a 35-31 halftime lead.
Elon started to find its groove in the second half, breaking the game open before Samford’s late run made it interesting. The Bulldogs were carried by senior guard Shelby Campbell, who tallied a career high 28 points.
The Phoenix improves to 3-5, 1-0 in the SoCon. Elon stays at home for another SoCon game on Dec. 16 against University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.