DURHAM, N.C. – Raven Preston delivered her second straight 20-point game as the Elon's women's basketball team shot a season-best 58.2% from the floor and claimed its fourth straight victory Sunday with a 77-68 win at North Carolina Central.
 
Five days removed from scoring 22 points against Old Dominion, Preston erupted for 26 against the Eagles, highlighted by 20 in the first half. The freshman made a career-high 10 field goals on 15 attempts and hauled in six rebounds.
 
Evonna McGill and Lenaejha Evans joined Preston in double figures, scoring 17 and 16 points, respectively. McGill was especially efficient, going 8-for-8 from the field.
 
With the victory – its first on the road – the Phoenix improved to 4-2. NC Central fell to 2-5.
 
"We shot the ball very well," said head coach Charlotte Smith. "Evonna was 8-for-8, 100% from the floor. Raven was 10-for-15, and Lenaejha shot the ball well. Any time you have your big three shooting at a high percentage, you give yourself a chance to be successful. It feels good to get a win on the road. It gives you a lot of confidence to know you can play both ends, at home and on the road. We've got a big road trip coming up at Howard, and this should give us some momentum going into it."
 
THE RUNDOWN
 

• The Eagles wasted little time building a 4-0 lead, but as quickly it fell behind, Elon pulled ahead, responding with a 12-0 run to seize control of the game. The Phoenix extended its lead to 28-14 by the end of the first quarter, marking the most points it has scored in any period this season. Twenty-four of Elon's points came in the paint as it shot 76.5% (13-for-17) from the field.
• Down 31-16 early in the second quarter, NC Central went on a 13-2 run to pull within four points. Preston then scored the next five – including three on an and-1 – to give the Phoenix some extra cushion, and it eventually entered halftime up 42-34.
• Following a familiar script, Elon opened the third quarter on a tear, scoring the first 12 points of the period to seize a 54-34 lead. Defensively, the Phoenix limited the Eagles to just six points in the quarter – tied for the fewest it's allowed in any period this season – and entered the fourth leading 59-40.
• NC Central outscored Elon 28-18 in the fourth quarter, but it couldn't pull any closer than nine points as the Phoenix held on for the victory.

 
NOTES
 

• Elon's 58.2% shooting percentage (32-for-55) marked its best since shooting 60% (27-for-45) on Feb. 28, 2018, at Northeastern.
• The Phoenix scored a season-high 60 points in the paint. It entered Sunday averaging 28 points in the paint through its first five games.
• Elon went 0-for-5 on 3-pointers. Its zero makes and five attempts each tied for the fewest in the Smith era.
• The Phoenix's 42 first-half points were its most in a first half this season.
• Elon has won 16 straight games over NC Central since dropping the first-ever meeting between the two programs on Feb. 1, 1972.
• Preston's 26 points were the second most by a freshman under Smith. Zora Stephenson scored 28 against Virginia Intermont on Nov. 18, 2011.
• Preston's 20 first-half points were the most by a Phoenix player in a half since Brie Perpignan had 22 in the first half against James Madison on Feb. 4.
• Preston's outburst upped her season scoring average to a team-best 12.7 points per game.
• McGill's 17 points were a season high, besting her previous mark of 13, set in the season opener against Wake Forest. She's scored in double figures in five of six games this year.
• In going 8-for-8 from the floor, McGill is shooting 67.3% (33-for-49) this season.
• After scoring six points on 3-for-12 shooting in her first two games with Elon, Evans has responded with four straight double-digit efforts. In that span, she's averaging 15.5 points on 55% shooting (22-for-40).
• Maya Johnson dished out a career-high five assists, besting her previous mark of two, set on three occasions. She notched three assists in the first quarter alone.

UP NEXT
 

• The Phoenix will leave North Carolina for the first time this season to face Howard on Friday in Washington, D.C. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.