Sophomore Autumn Carter and senior Kelsey Harris who combined for 47 points and 18 rebounds today led the Phoenix offensive attack as the Elon University women's basketball team secured a compelling 84-68 win over the Mount Olive College Trojans.
The game remained close throughout the entire first half. Mount Olive clung to a one-point lead at the first media timeout and extended that lead to 8 halfway through the first. After the second media timeout Elon went on a 19-8 run that showcased a balanced scoring attack with buckets from five different Phoenix players during the stretch. With four minutes left in the first half, Elon led 31-28. The teams battled back and forth to end the half with Elon holding on to a 40-34 lead at the break.
?Elon came out of the locker room fired up as junior guard Zora Stephenson helped Elon jump out to an 11-point lead early in the second half when she connected on her first three-pointer of the afternoon. Mount Olive did its best to battle back, but with eight minutes left in the second half, the Trojans had only cut the Phoenix lead to seven.
?The story of the second half was the explosive 17-1 run the Phoenix went on that put the game out of reach for the Trojans. The game seemed to be destined for a close finish until Kelsey Harris scored seven straight points in just over a minute's time to keep the Phoenix rolling. This scoring outburst started a run that lasted six minutes, as Elon extended its lead from five to 19 points during that stretch. Senior guard Harris had 16 of her 22 points in the second half, shooting an impressive 6-8 from the field, while also adding nine total rebounds and five assists throughout the game. Her career high 22 points in the game were four more than any other previous output this season. Autumn Carter also put up a career high as she went 9-14 from the field and shot 70 percent from the line plus a game-high 25 points.
?Mount Olive led just once during the 40 minute contest, as the Phoenix had its most efficient shooting performance of the year, connecting on 56% of their shots, which is only the second time this year that the team had surpassed the 50 percent shooting mark. Elon’s 84 total points are more than any game from last season, and matches its highest production this season.
?Four players scored in double figures for the Phoenix as it moves to 5-6 on the season, and it has now won three of its last four games. Elon will have a week off, but then will travel to Morgantown, W.Va., on Dec. 29 to take on the Mountaineers as they attempt to get their third straight win and get back to .500.