ELON, N.C. – The Elon University women's basketball team came out strong in its lone exhibition game of the season, defeating Winston-Salem State University 77-48 on Tuesday, Nov. 5, in Schar Center.
 
The Phoenix was led by Maya Johnson, who finished the game leading the team in points (14) along with shooting 7-12 from the field and recording five rebounds. Ariel Colón and Brie Perpignan also combined for 23 points and nine rebounds.
 
The Rams were led by Brandi Segars and Amaya Tucker, who tied for the team high in points (11).
 
HIGHLIGHTS
The Phoenix came out strong in the first quarter, opening the game with a 9-2 run led by Jada Graves' five points in under 30 seconds. Winston-Salem State would then chip away at the Elon lead and eventually take an early advantage. After taking a 10-9 lead with 4:16 left on the clock, the Rams held a lead as high as four in the remainder of the quarter. As time expired, a buzzer-beating three ball by Colón put the Phoenix back to within one (15-14) going into the second quarter.
     
Fueled by eight-consecutive points from Johnson early in the second, the Phoenix took momentum and never looked back. With 1:35 to go before the break, Elon took a double-digit lead of 10 (30-20) after a layup from Perpignan. The Phoenix went on to close the half outscoring the Rams 8-2 to take a 38-22 lead to the locker room.
 
The strong offense continued for the Phoenix in the second half, as Elon shot 17-of-21 (.548) from the field and 2-for-5 (.400) from beyond the arc in the second 20 minutes to record 39 points and secure the victory.     
 
NOTES
- 48 of the Phoenix's 77 points came in the paint.
- Finishing with a 50.8 field goal percentage, Elon made 32 shots on 63 attempts.
- The Phoenix took its largest lead of the game in the fourth quarter when Teylah Saunders nailed a jumper to make the score 75-43.
 
UP NEXT
The Phoenix opens its season on Saturday, Nov. 9, when it hosts Western Carolina University in Schar Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The game will be streamed on FloSports along with live stats and a radio broadcast on WSOE 89.3 FM.