The Phoenix held strong for a convincing 78-60 win over James Madison University in the CAA women’s basketball tournament. The next stop is the NCAA's big dance.
The entire Elon community is invited to celebrate with the team Monday at 7 p.m. in Alumni Gym, where the pairings for the national tournament will be announced. The first games in the tournament are scheduled Friday and Saturday, March 17-18. The first two rounds, also referred to as the subregionals, will be played at the sites of most of the top 16 seeds, as was done in 2016.
>> See a photo gallery from the championship game
The win over JMU was a game of intensity from the opening buzzer. A large hometown crowd was matched by a loud and boisterous contingent of Elon fans, cheerleaders and band members who cheered on a Phoenix team that came in laser-focused on making history.
“I feel like we’ve been working toward this moment for four years,” said senior Lauren Brown at a post-game news conference. “I’m so humbled and honored to be part of this team – I’m thankful for my teammates and my coach,” Brown said, holding back tears of joy.
Fellow senior Jenifer Rhodes said it was the “best feeling ever” to make Elon history. “It’s indescribable to be with an amazing group of girls that you just love so much,” Rhodes said.
Smith said she has worked for six years to position her team to be able to feel this kind of success. “It’s something that no one can ever take away from you. You will always be 2017 champions. I believe in this team, I believe in the gifts they’ve been blessed with. It was my responsibility to bring it out of them, even if it was pushing them at times when they didn’t understand. In order to be a champion you always have to stay hungry, you always have to want more and you always have to strive for excellence.”
It was once again a stingy defense efforts and balanced attack on offense that led Elon to victory, its 14th win over the last 15 games. The Phoenix held JMU to 23 percent shooting from the floor, including a 4-of-9 clip from beyond the arc.
Elon put four players in double figures, led by 17 points from the tournament’s MVP, Lauren Brown. Brown played all but one minute of the game, going 5-of-12 from the floor.
Elon carried a 16-10 lead after the first quarter, as the Phoenix defense limited the Dukes to 22 percent shooting on 4-of-18 field goal attempts to hold the early lead. The Phoenix went 6-of-12 in the first 10 minutes of the game.
Elon kept up the defensive intensity going into the locker room at the half, as the Phoenix led by 11 points, 36-25. The Phoenix held the Dukes to 21 percent shooting in the opening frame, including a 0-of-5 clip from three. Elon increased its lead to 12 points in the early stages of the third quarter, as a Baucom three-point play gave Elon a 42-30 advantage with 5:12 remaining.
JMU managed to claw back and make it a 13-point game with 4:15 to play. However, the Phoenix held strong down the stretch, holding JMU to a 2-of-11 clip in the final minutes to secure the victory.
After taking his turn snipping a piece of the nets, Athletic Director Dave Blank reflected on the importance of this achievement in Elon sports history. “This is a very special thing for our community … I am so proud,” Blank said. “When you achieve a championship like this, it does raise the bar for all our student-athletes. It also adds confidence for our recruiting. But at the end of the day, what is so important to me is the impact of this great accomplishment for these young women. This is something they’ve been dreaming about since they were children.”