ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – After fighting off a cold second quarter against the Elon Phoenix to force a one-score game, the comeback from North Dakota women's basketball fell short on Friday afternoon. The Fighting Hawks dropped its second game of the Paradise Jam tournament, 65-57, to finish fourth place in the Harbor Division.
 
Mackenzie Hughes once again led the scoring for the Hawks with her 17 points alongside three steals. Walker Demers joined her in double figures with 14 points while also leading the team with 12 rebounds and two blocks. Ava Miller ripped down another eight boards for the Hawks and drilled three triples to finish with nine points as Hanna Miller made her first career start while finishing with four points and three assists.
 
UND out-shot its opponent in all areas, going 17-of-37 from the floor for a cool 46-percent showing. The Fighting Hawks nailed seven three-pointers, went 16-of-24 from the line and collected 34 total rebounds on the day.
 
In a gritty and hard-fought contest, turnovers again proved to be the difference. UND tallied a brutal 21 turnovers in the first half before only committing six in the second.
 
Despite the early errors, the first quarter featured a solid performance from the Fighting Hawks. Hanna Miller struck first with an opening three-pointer, but it soon became a 7-5 deficit. North Dakota proceeded to hold Elon scoreless for the remainder of the quarter, rattling off ten straight points, including seven from the hands of Hughes.
 
Now ahead 15-7, Elon exploded to kick off the second quarter. The Phoenix jumped ahead at 18-17 and would continue to press on the gas for the remainder of the half. The visitors on the scoreboard would score a total of 28 points in the second while holding the Hawks to just nine points. North Dakota's performance at the free throw line kept it a single-digit game but an 11-3 run in less than three minutes forced a 35-24 score at halftime.
 
UND's first made field goal of the third came exactly three minutes in off the hands of Hughes, who drained a shot from deep to bring it make to a single-digit game. The Hawks proceeded to rattle off an 11-2 run to tie things up at 40 apiece. Elon collected the and-1 and Demers hit a layup to end the period, making it 43-32 Phoenix advantage.
 
The fourth quarter featured some of the toughest bouts of action for both teams, with NoDak shooting an impressive 50% from the floor. Trips to the free throw line helped Elon push the lead to six within the first four minutes of competition, but the Hawks continued to fight back. A pullup jumper from Skyler Volmer and a layup from Demers tightened the game while Ava Miller's second triple of the day made it 56-53. Elon quickly responded with two three-pointers of its own and continued to force its way to the foul line, where the game ended in a 65-57 loss for the Hawks.
 
Postgame Notes 

• Friday marked the third straight game with North Dakota allowing its opponent to score exactly 65 points
• Hughes led UND in scoring for both of UND's Paradise Jam games
• UND's first basket of the game was a three-pointer after going 0-for-18 from behind the arc yesterday
• Demers collected her fifth career double-double and her second of the season
• All nine of Ava Miller's point came from three-point land
• Hanna Miller and Ava Miller each dished out three assists
• UND tied its opponent in total rebounds for the first time this season

  
How It Happened 
Q1: North Dakota 15, Elon 7
Q2: North Dakota 24, Elon 35
Q3: North Dakota 41, Elon 43
Q4: North Dakota 57, Elon 65
 
Up Next
North Dakota women's basketball will exchange island time for home court advantage as the Fighting Hawks return home. They will face Montana in the opening game of the Summit League-Big Sky Challenge with tip set for 7 p.m. inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.    

For more information on North Dakota women's basketball, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDwbasketball.