ELON, N.C. – Evonna McGill tallied a game-high 16 points and the Elon women's basketball team made key defensive plays down the stretch to grind out a 63-56 victory against CAA leader North Carolina A&T on Friday at Schar Center.
 
McGill went 7-for-10 from the field en route to her fourth straight double-digit performance. She was followed by Raven Preston – who recorded 12 points and 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season – and Lenaejha Evans – who added 10 points and finished a team-best plus-19.
 
Maleia Bracone led four double-dight scorers for the Aggies with 15 points. Jordyn Dorsey (12 points), D'Mya Tucker (10) and Nyah Willis (10) followed her, but the Phoenix shut down Jazmin Harris on the offensive end, holding North Carolina A&T's leading scorer to a season-low two points.
 
With the victory, Elon (6-16, 2-9 CAA) secured its second win in three games. North Carolina A&T (14-7, 8-2) suffered just its second conference loss.
 
"I'm just really excited about this ball club and what we were able to accomplish tonight," said head coach Charlotte Smith. "We really locked in on the game plan and controlled the controllables. We wanted to make sure we focused in on the rebounds, and we got that edge of 39-32. I think we were a little more poised against their press and were able to capitalize on some of those opportunities.
 
"This is a big win for this ball club. Kudos to our team for continuing to stay the course and trying to get 1% better every day."
 
THE RUNDOWN
 

• Elon came out hot, scoring the first five points of the game, but North Carolina A&T answered with a 5-0 run of its own to tie the score midway through the first quarter. Both teams exchanged shots over the remainder of the period, and the Aggies entered the second with a 10-9 lead. The two teams combined for 19 first-quarter turnovers.
• The Phoenix and the Aggies went back and forth over the first 2:44 before Ajia James made a 3-pointer to ignite a 7-2 run that put Elon up 18-16 with 6:34 until halftime. North Carolina A&T went on a 5-0 run to go back up three, but the Phoenix responded with a 7-0 run to take a 25-21 lead. The Aggies outscored the Phoenix 6-3 in the final 2:10 of the first half, but Elon still entered halftime up 28-27.
• Coming out of the break, the Phoenix went on a 9-0 run, featuring six points by McGill, to seize its largest lead of the game (37-27). The Aggies scored 13 of the next 18 points to cut the deficit to two, but McGill converted an and-1 with 32 seconds left to give Elon a 45-40 lead entering the fourth quarter. McGill finished the period with 12 points.
• North Carolina A&T opened the fourth with a 6-2 run to pull within one, but the Phoenix used a 7-2 run to extend its lead to 54-48 with 6:14 left. Not to be deterred, the Aggies pulled within two points three more times, but James made two clutch mid-range jumpers and Elon surrendered just two field goals in the final 5:57 to secure the rivalry win.

 
NOTES
 

• McGill's 16 points tied for her second most of the season. The double-dight performance was her 11th of the season and her fourth in a row, marking her longest streak of the year.
• Preston's double-double marked her fifth of the season, the most by an Elon player since Shay Burnett and Malaya Johnson notched seven and five, respectively, in 2017-18.
• Preston and Evans both scored in double figures for the 12th time this season, remaining in a tie for the team lead. Preston has scored in double figures in eight of her first 11 CAA games.
• Kamryn Doty (five), James (four) and Preston (four) all matched their career highs in assists.
• Doty (four) and James (three) also matched their career highs in steals.
• The Phoenix held North Carolina A&T to 34% (17-for-50) shooting, the second-lowest percentage by an opponent this season. The Aggies' 56 points were also the second fewest that Elon has allowed.
• The Phoenix's 19 assists were its second most of the season and its most since dishing out 20 on Nov. 27, 2022, at North Carolina Central.
• Elon's 12 steals were its second most of the season.
• The Phoenix committed 15 first-half turnovers but only five in the second half.
• Elon outrebounded North Carolina A&T 39-32 – including 24-16 in the second half.

 
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH
 
Friday's game served as the Phoenix's Black History Month Recognition Game, held in partnership with the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education.
 
Representatives from the Black Student Union, African Diaspora Living Learning Community, NAACP and Melanated Melodies – which performed "Lift Every Voice and Sing" and the national anthem – were in attendance. Elon also debuted its Black History Month shooting shirts, which featured the names of inspirational Black leaders and athletes.
 
"In my pregame speech, I had the players look around the room," Smith said. "It makes you scratch your head to think there was a time in history where we all couldn't be in the same space. So, tonight was a chance to embrace and celebrate where we've come from and celebrate the beauty of where we are and the people who came before us and paved the way for this opportunity."
 
UP NEXT
 

• The Phoenix will visit the College of Charleston at 2 p.m. Sunday.