ELON, N.C. – Hofstra rallied from an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter and tied the game late, but the Pride fell just short against the Elon Phoenix, 55-52 at the Schar Center on Thursday evening.
 
Hofstra drops to 9-20 on the year and 3-14 in the Colonial Athletic Association while Elon improves to 9-19 overall and 4-13 in the league.
 
Junior forward Marianne Kalin had her most efficient offensive game of the season, as she shot 86 percent from the field (6-of-7) and was a perfect 6-of-6 until her final field goal attempt. Kalin tied for a game-high 12 points and also added five rebounds for the Pride. Junior guard Ana Hernandez Gil was next in scoring with 11 points, and senior guard Boogie Brozoski rounded out the top-three scorers with 10 points and a team-high three assists.
 
Four members of the Phoenix tallied double digits in scoring, led by Kayla Liles who recorded 11 points.
 
It was a very low scoring first half as neither team was able to catch an offensive break, as the score was 21-16 at the half in favor of Elon. Hofstra got the ball rolling in the third quarter and shot 5-of-9 (56 percent) during the frame and outscored the Phoenix, 18-17 to keep it close heading into the final stanza down by just four points, 38-34.
 
After four-straight points by Elon to extend the Phoenix lead to eight points with 8:11 on the clock in the fourth, freshman forward Caria Reynolds scored back-to-back layups to bring the score back within four. Elon would then make two free throws, but Hofstra went on a 6-0 run with two buckets by Brozoski and one by Kalin which tied the game at 44 points each at the 4:10 mark.
 
Elon made two free throws with 33 seconds on the clock which pulled the Phoenix lead back out to five, but Hernandez Gil knocked down a three-pointer from the right elbow which trimmed the Phoenix lead to two. With 26 seconds on the clock, Elon sunk back-to-back free throws to stretch it back out to a four-point game, but Hofstra refused to go away as Hernandez Gil was fouled beyond the arc and converted on all three free throws to once again bring the contest within a point. Two Elon foul shots under the 12 second mark made it a three-point game and gave Hofstra a chance to force overtime on its final possession, but Brozoski's three-point attempt at the buzzer was just too strong as Elon escaped with the narrow decision.
 
Hofstra will close out the regular season against William & Mary on Saturday, March 9 at Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va. Tip off against the Tribe is set for 2 p.m. Following the conclusion of the game, the Pride will learn its seeding for the upcoming CAA Championship which will be contested at the University of Delaware's Bob Carpenter Center on March 13-16.
 
NOTES:
-Hofstra shot a season-high 89 percent (16-of-18) from the free throw line. It was just the fifth 80 percent or better effort from the stripe from the Pride this season.
-Hofstra out-rebounded Elon, 34-30
-The Pride also tallied more assists than Elon, 8-7
-Elon now leads the all-time series, 7-4
-Brozoski was perfect from the free throw line for the 14th time this season and has shot 4-of-4 from the stripe over the last three games