On Sunday afternoon, the Elon University women’s basketball team fell short to the Charleston Cougars on Play4Kay and Senior Day at Schar Center. After trailing by as many as 18 points late in the third quarter, it looked like Elon might finish off an improbable comeback. But the Phoenix never regained a lead after the first quarter, and it fell 60-58.
On its annual Senior Day,senior guard Vanessa Taylor, senior forward Maya Johnson, graduate student guard Lenaejha Evans, senior guard Bria Harmon and graduate student center Evonna McGill were all honored after the game to celebrate each player’s time as a Phoenix. The Kay Yow Cancer Fund partnered with the team for the annual Play4Kay game today as well.
“It’s a special day,” head coach Charlotte Smith said. “When you think about those things outside of the outcome, you have a lot to be proud of. Our seniors have done such a good job in leading this program, the direction that we’re headed, and we’re looking forward to the future.”
After a dominant 40-point performance in the paint that resulted in a gritty win against Monmouth Feb. 17, the Phoenix hoped to continue where it had left off.
Elon jumped out to an early lead and capitalized on the dominant play of McGill. McGill dumped it off to freshman guard Raven Preston for an easy layup to open the scoring. The North Carolina native then poured in two buckets of her own, and efficiently scored or assisted on the first seven points for the Phoenix. Despite the excellent play to open the game, Elon would lead for just under six minutes throughout the entire contest.
Coming out of the first media timeout, Charleston scored seven unanswered points to effectively double Elon’s scoring output. Freshman guard Chloe Williams and Preston both got to the line, and McGill scored her ninth point of the night, but Elon couldn’t contain Charleston’s scorching 50% shooting.
Charleston senior guard Jada Logan and junior forward Adaora Onwumelu both finished the first quarter with eight points. Logan has reached double figures in 23 of 26 games for Charleston. Elon trailed 22-12 at the end of the first.
Charleston kept Elon at bay over the next six minutes. While Evans and McGill continued their scoring, the Phoenix couldn’t get the lead down to more than seven points. However, over a brief three-minute stretch, excellent team defense led by Williams and transition opportunities allowed an 8-2 run against the Cougars to close out the half. The Phoenix trailed by five going into the locker room with the momentum in its favor.
Hoping to continue the run going into the half, the Phoenix came out flat. The Cougars scored 13 unanswered points thanks to freshman guard Alexis Andrews’ nine points over that stretch. While efforts from Evans, Preston and McGill continued, Elon never cut the lead to single digits going into the final 10 minutes of play.
It looked grim for Smith’s squad heading into the final stretch. However, junior forward Ajia James made sure that wasn’t the case. James cashed in on back-to-back triples in the opening minute of play to pull within five points. The entire team had gone seven quarters — 77 minutes and 54 seconds — without a three-pointer before James snapped the dry spell.
After that, both teams went cold. The Phoenix made a late push but had to play the foul game to have a chance at the end. James and freshman guard Jaila Roberts were able to put away Elon down the stretch at the foul line.
Despite a career-high 12 rebounds and McGill’s first double-double of the season along with Preston’s 16 points, it still wasn’t enough to take down Charleston. Elon never got to within more than two and faced some tough bang-bang calls down the stretch that went Charleston’s way.
McGill tallied 17 points and 12 boards on the night. She has also recorded double-digits in six of her last eight games. She said the trust and chemistry she has with her teammates is what has empowered her to hit her stride in the last few weeks.
“We’re a team that’s very capable of winning,” McGill said. “I think it just always comes down to growth. Growth is inevitable.”
Logan continued her scoring dominance, as she tallied 7 points in the final period, and 23 on the night. Logan is second in the Colonial Athletic Association in scoring, averaging 18.3 points per game. Andrews was able to notch 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting to aid in the Cougars' scoring.
The Phoenix, 4-11 in the CAA, will travel to Williamsburg, Virginia, Feb. 24 to play the William & Mary Tribe, 5-11 in the CAA. Its final home game is March 2. at 7 p.m. against University of North Carolina Wilmington.