ELON, North Carolina – Sophomore guard Brie Perpignan scored a career-high 24 points as Elon earned its third win in the last four games with a 77-53 Colonial Athletic Association women's basketball victory over UNCW at the Schar Center on Sunday afternoon.
The Phoenix upped their record to 8-7 overall and 3-1 in the CAA while UNCW dropped to 5-10 overall and 2-2 against league foes.
Perpignan made 8 of 14 shots from the field and all six of her free throws en route to registering the second 20-point game of her career. The Alexandria, Va., product also grabbed five rebounds and dished out five assists.
Junior forward Jaylin Powell came off the bench to add 14 points with six rebounds for Elon, which never trailed in the contest.
Senior guard
Lacey Suggs led UNCW in the loss with 17 points after sinking 7 of 11 field goal attempts in addition to going 2-for-3 from the free throw line. Senior guard
Ahyiona Vason and redshirt senior guard
GiGi Smith each chipped in nine points.
Key Moment: Led by six points apiece from Perpignan and Powell, Elon sprinted to a 19-5 lead in the game's opening eight minutes and never looked back. UNCW narrowed the gap to 23-14 before the Phoenix closed the first half with a 13-4 outburst to take a 36-18 advantage into the intermission.
Game Notes:
- Suggs registered her seventh consecutive double-digit scoring effort … She also paced the Seahawks in scoring for the fifth time this season.
- Smith failed to score in double figures for the first time this season … It is just the third time in 45 games at UNCW she has not tallied 10 or more points.
- Freshman forward Nya Mitchels scored a season-high six points for UNCW, including a 4-for-7 effort from the free throw line.
- UNCW was held to just 18 points in the first half, equaling a season low … The Seahawks were also held to 18 points in the first half against NC State on Nov. 10.
- Elon outrebounded the Seahawks, 44-27, and held a 37-12 advantage in bench points.
Up Next: The Seahawks venture back to Trask Coliseum next weekend for a pair of CAA contests, welcoming James Madison on Friday, Jan. 17, and defending league champion Towson on Sunday, Jan. 19.
