The Elon University women’s basketball team defeated the University of North Carolina at Wilmington on Friday, 60-48. Junior guard Josepha Mbouma led the team with 15 points, a personal best for her this year.
The two teams traded the lead throughout the first half, with each team leading by as many as five. With 5:21 remaining in the first half, Mbouma knocked down a three to give the Phoenix a 20-19 advantage that they would not relinquish for the rest of the half. Sophomore forward Jenifer Rhodes made a layup and Mbouma netted two free throws to give Elon a 24-21 lead going into the locker room.
After halftime, the Phoenix was able to find a rhythm and maintain the lead for the rest of the game, leading by 16 with 9:54 to play. Senior forward Sam Coffer and freshman guard Shay Burnett each had eight in the second half- Coffer went 3-4 from the field, while Burnett went 2-3 and made four free throws. UNCW closed the gap to six with 3:56 to play, but had to foul late in the game, securing the 12-point victory for the Phoenix.
The Phoenix offense picked up after halftime, shooting 50 percent from the field during the second half as opposed to 27 percent in the first half. Elon struggled from beyond the arc throughout the contest, making an abysmal 18 percent of its triple attempts. Burnett finished with 10 before fouling out, and the team made 92 percent of its free throw attempts.
The Phoenix was outrebounded by the Seahawks 47-38, but managed to grab a total of 29 boards on the defensive end. Burnett led the team with seven rebounds, Coffer had six, and sophomore guard Lauren Brown pulled down five.
With the victory, the Phoenix has secured a spot in the CAA tournament semifinals. Its next contest comes on March 14 against the No. 1-ranked James Madison University Dukes at 1 p.m. in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.