WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The William and Mary women's basketball team dropped its Colonial Athletic Association home opener to league newcomer Elon 72-59 at Kaplan Arena on Friday night. Sophomore Alexandra Masaquel scored a team-high 12 points, but the Green and Gold couldn't over come a 13-point halftime deficit. With the decision the Tribe falls to 6-8, 0-3 in CAA play, while the Phoenix is 9-5, 2-1 in league action.
Masaquel finished with the 12 points and added five rebounds, one assist, and four steals. Senior Jazmen Boone scored 11 points and three steals, while classmate Kyla Kerstetter scored 10 points and added a rebound, assist, block, and steal.
After the Tribe scored the game's first basket, Elon responded with a 9-2 run to take a 9-4 lead with 16:49 to play in the first half. Sam Coffer opened Elon's scoring with a triple, followed by a basket by Malaya Johnson. Following a Tribe basket, Johnson reeled off the next four points for the Phoenix.
Trailing by nine points, 19-10, the Tribe used a 6-0 run to cut Elon's lead to 19-16 with 10:14 play in the first half, which was as close as the Tribe could bring it the rest of the way. Masaquel knocked home the first four points on a pair of free throws and a jumper to spark the spurt. The final bucket was a layup from freshman Abby Rendle.
Leading by six points, Elon used an 8-0 run to build its largest lead of the first half 36-22. The run held the Phoenix to a 38-25 halftime advantage, which was the most the Tribe was down at the break all season. Lauren Brown led the intial spark with a 5-0 run by herself. Johnson added a point, while Baucom had a layup to push the Phoenix to a 36-22 lead with 1:16 remaining.
After Elon regained a 14-point advantage, the Tribe used an 8-0 spurt to get the score within six points at 47-41 with 11:20 to go. Sophomore Latrice Hunter opened the scoring with a pair of free throws that were matched by a traditional three-point play from Kerstetter. The Brentwood, Tennessee native followed up with a triple from the right wing to bring the Phoenix lead to eight points. The final points of the run came on two more from the charity stripe from Hunter.
Leading 53-43, the Phoenix put the game away with a 10-0 run midway through the second half. Jenifer Rhodes led the spurt with four points, while Coffer and Shay Burnett each had three points during the rally.
W&M was able to bring the score within 10 points with 58 seconds remaining in the game thanks to a 13-2 run. Freshman Jeanne Gaumont's 3-pointer brought the score within 10 points and ended the Tribe's run
Brown led Elon with 18 points, 16 of which came in the first half of play. She led three Phoenix players in double figures, including Johnson, who finished with 13 points and six rebounds, while Rhodes finished with a double-double on 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Hunter finished with eight points off of the bench to go along with a rebound, two assists, and three steals. Rendle, who missed a majority of the UNCW game and the entire Towson game finished with a team-high eight rebounds and two points in her return to the Green and Gold's lineup.
W&M concludes a stretch of four games in eight days as it welcomes James Madison to Kaplan Arena on Sunday, Jan. 11. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. The final game of the Tribe's three-game home stand will come on Thursday, Jan. 15 against Drexel. That game will tip at 7 p.m.
