WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Elon University women's basketball team fell in its Colonial Athletic Association road contest at UNCW, falling to the Seahawks by a score of 76-51 on Friday evening, Feb. 8, inside Trask Coliseum.
 
UNCW (13-7, 7-3 CAA) swept the season series versus the Phoenix, who fell to 7-14 overall and 2-8 in the league standings. The setback was the seventh in a row for the maroon and gold.
 
Brie Perpignan scored 10 points to lead the Phoenix, who shot 17-of-49 overall and was 14-of-20 from the free throw line. It was the second straight game Perpignan scored in double figures and the fourth time out of the last five games.
 
The Seahawks shot 26-of-55 from the floor and was 18-of-25 from the charity stripe. Lacey Suggs had a game-high 29 points for UNCW, going 11-of-16 from the floor. GiGi Smith added 20 points for the Seahawks while Chinyere Bell chipped in with 13.
 
The Rundown
Both teams were in a highly competitive affair for the first four minutes of the game with UNCW holding an 8-7 lead after a Lexi Mercer three-pointer. UNCW went on an 8-0 run to move ahead by nine, 16-7, and held an 18-9 lead with 3:10 left in the first. The Phoenix trimmed its deficit down to six to close out the first quarter down 21-15.
 
The Seahawks worked to expand their lead in the second. Perpignan hit a couple of free throws to bring Elon within eight, 25-17, but a jumper by Suggs and a basket from Bell gave UNCW a 12-point advantage, 29-17. Both teams traded baskets over the next three minutes, but a 5-0 run by the Seahawks extended their lead to 15, 38-23, after a pair of free throws from Suggs. A three-pointer by Munford before the end of the half brought Elon back within 12, 40-28, as both teams went into the locker room.
 
Elon got off to a quick start to begin the second half, cutting UNCW's lead to nine after a three from Ariel Colón with 8:30 left in the third. The Seahawks answered with a jumper and a three to go back up by 14, but the Phoenix responded with buckets from Jaylin Powell and Kayla Liles to make it a 10-point game, 47-37. UNCW closed out the quarter on a 10-3 run though to take a 57-40 lead into the final quarter.
 
Elon would not get its deficit lower than 17 points in the final period as UNCW pulled away from the Phoenix and cruised to the 76-51 victory.
 
Up Next
Elon closes out its road trip with a visit at College of Charleston on Sunday, Feb. 8, at 2 p.m.