Hempstead, NY – In a game they never trailed, the Hofstra women's basketball team earned its first Colonial Athletic Association win of the season in a tight 46-42 contest against visiting Elon from inside the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex.

Rosi Nicholson paced the Pride with 12 points on 5-9 shooting, and she added four steals and four rebounds. Brandy Thomas pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds while scoring nine points and recording three blocks. Zyheima Swint tied a career-high with three blocks against the Phoenix, and added six points and nine rebounds in the Hofstra win.

The Pride moves to 7-7 overall and 1-2 in the CAA after Friday's victory. The loss drops Elon to 4-10 overall and 0-3 in conference action.

After Swint and Elon's Raven Preston traded two-point baskets to open the game, Nicholson hit a three-pointer to give Hofstra its lead while starting a 7-0 to put the Pride ahead, 9-2, at the 5:51 mark. Following another Preston bucket, Thomas hit a pair of free throws and Nicholson converted a fast-break layup to give Hofstra a 13-4 lead with 2:52 to go. An Elon free throw at 1:57 put the score at 13-5 after the first quarter.

The hosts opened the second quarter with three straight baskets by Alarice Gooden, Thomas, and Sorelle Ineza to lead by 14, the team's biggest lead of the night. Elon brought the Hofstra lead to single digits with a 6-0 run lasting until 6:02. After Swint and Preston scored in the paint, baskets by Zaniyyah Ross-Barnes and Nicholson brought Hofstra's lead back to 12 with 2:23 remaining. Elon scored on a late basket, bringing the score to 25-15 in favor of Hofstra at the break.

The Pride continued to lead over the Phoenix throughout the third quarter. After a Preston driving layup cut Hofstra's lead to nine, Janaia Fargo hit a three-pointer at the 5:44 mark to give Hofstra it's double-digit lead back. Nicholson sunk a trey at 3:31 following an Ajia James layup, giving Hofstra a 12-point advantage with 3:31 remaining in the quarter. The Phoenix drew to within nine of the Pride on a Preston three-pointer, ending the frame with the home team on top, 36-27.

Leading by six after a 6-3 Elon run to start the fourth quarter, Gooden connected on a wide-open three to put the Pride on top, 42-33, with 4:39 to go. The Phoenix closed to within four with five straight points, but a steal-and-score by Nicholson put Hofstra ahead by six with 36 seconds remaining. Ally Knights hit a pair of late free throws to put the game out of reach for Elon as the final buzzer blared.

Preston led Elon with 19 points, eight rebounds, six steals, and the team's lone block in the game.

Hofstra faces a quick turnaround when they welcome North Carolina A&T (9-5, 3-0 CAA) to the Mack Sports Complex on Sunday, January 8, with a 2 p.m. tip-off.

NOTES:
-Hofstra moves to 4-14 all-time against Elon, and the win snaps Hofstra's five-game losing streak against the Phoenix dating back to 2019.
-The Pride held Elon to 24.3% shooting from the floor and 5.6% from three-point range, the lowest shooting percentages by a Hofstra opponent this season.
-Hofstra moves to 6-1 at home.
-Elon outrebounded Hofstra, 41-39.