WASHINGTON – Still searching for its first win of the season, the American University women's basketball team fell to Elon, 62-54, Sunday evening at Bender Arena.

Sophomore Michael Harris scored a career-high 10 points for the Eagles, shooting 5-of-6 from the field, while classmate Emily Kinneston added 10 points and five rebounds.

Shay Burnett finished with 20 points to lead Elon (3-1), while Malaya Johnson pitched in 11 points.

American (0-4) got out to a slow start, missing its first six field goals to fall into an 8-0 deficit. Elon led by as much as 10 points in the first period before a basket by Harris cut the margin to 14-6 heading into the second quarter.

Sophomore Kate Bond hit a three-pointer to open the second period for American, while Harris came out on fire, scoring four straight baskets for the Eagles. A three-pointer by senior Ari Booth gave American a 22-20 lead, but Elon outscored AU 5-0 over the final two minutes of the period to head into the locker room with a 25-24 advantage.  

The two teams traded baskets and the lead early in the third period, but the Phoenix went on a 13-2 run to close out the quarter, taking a 45-37 lead into the final stanza. Nine of Elon's 13 points in that stretch came from the charity stripe.

The Phoenix continued to pull away in the fourth quarter, pushing its lead to 57-45 at the 3:39 mark. While American managed to cut its deficit to six points with 1:11 remaining, the Eagles were unable to complete their comeback.

"Twenty-two turnovers really caused us a lot of problems, by taking away a lot of possessions, especially since it was a six-to-eight point game for most of the second half," said American head coach Megan Gebbia. "Even though we cut their lead, not being able to deliver the ball on time and allowing too many offensive rebounds and free throws was really the difference in the game."

Elon scored 21 points off the Eagles' 22 turnovers and recorded 16 second-chance points. The Phoenix also had a significant advantage at the foul line, making 24-of-36 attempts, including 18-of-25 in the second half alone. Meanwhile, American attempted just 17 free throws for the entire game, connecting on 13.

The Eagles return to action on Wednesday, Nov. 25, when they visit William & Mary for a 5 p.m. contest.