ELON, North Carolina – Senior guard
Lauren Brown scored a game-high 25 points as Elon secured the first outright conference title in the program's Division I history with an 82-48 victory over UNCW in the regular season finale for both Colonial Athletic Association teams at Alumni Gym on Wednesday night.
The Phoenix, who won for the 11th time in the last 12 games, will take a 24-6 overall record and a 16-2 league mark into next week's CAA Tournament at James Madison. Meanwhile, the Seahawks conclude the regular season with a 10-19 mark, including a 5-13 mark in league play.
Brown made 7-of-10 shots from the floor, including a 3-for-6 effort from three-point range, while connecting on eight of nine free throws. She also contributed four rebounds in 29 minutes.
Senior forward
Jenifer Rhodes added 21 points on 10-for-16 shooting from the field while adding a team-high eight rebounds.
Junior guard
Madison Raque paced the Seahawks with 17 points after making 7-of-13 shots from the floor, including a 3-for-7 performance from long range. Redshirt junior forward
Jenny DeGraaf came off the bench to contribute 10 points with six rebounds.
Key Moment: Brown scored 11 of her 25 points in the second quarter as Elon outscored the Seahawks by a 22-11 margin in the frame to take a 38-27 lead the Phoenix did not relinquish.
Game Notes: Elon earned its fifth straight win over the Seahawks and now leads the all-time series by a 9-5 margin … Raque reached double figures in scoring for the 16th time this season and led the Seahawks in scoring for the 10th time … Elon outrebounded UNCW, 48-28, including a 20-10 margin on the offensive glass … The Phoenix scored 50 points in the paint … Freshman guard
Katelyn Weems scored the first points of her college career with 1:05 left on a jumper … UNCW outscored Elon in bench points by a 25-20 margin … DeGraaf has scored 10 or more points in three straight games … The Seahawks are 21-for-25 from the free throw line in the last two games after an 8-for-10 showing at Elon.
Up Next for the Seahawks: UNCW begins its quest at a Colonial Athletic Association championship by playing College of Charleston in a first round game on Wednesday, Mar. 8, at the JMU Convocation Center. The seventh-seeded Seahawks and the 10th-seeded Cougars square off at 2:30 p.m.
