Elon Women’s Basketball Phoenix Takes on Rams in Richmond Sunday

ELON, N.C. – After a 2-0 start to the season, the Elon women’s basketball team will travel to Richmond, Va., on Sunday, Nov. 17, to play VCU (1-1) in a 2 p.m. tip.

Elon at VCU
Date: Sunday, Nov. 17
Site: Richmond, Va. (Verizon Wireless Arena)
Series: Elon leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: Nov. 12, 2012, in Elon, N.C. – Elon won, 74-58
Radio: WSOE – 89.3 FM – Ryan Balick and Matt Krause will have the call
Twitter Updates: @ElonScores

Last Time Out
The Phoenix pulled away down the stretch to claim an 11-point win, 75-64, at UNC Wilmington on Wednesday. Elon had three players in double figures and two of those players finished with double-doubles. Kelsey Harris recorded 16 points and a career-high 10 assists, while Jenifer Rhodes made her collegiate debut with 12 points and 10 boards. Rookie Lauren Brown continued to look impressive with 13 points.

Scouting the Rams
VCU is .500 on the season (1-1) after falling at Ohio State on Nov. 14, 83-71. The Rams were within striking distance of the Buckeyes with less than two minutes left but could not pull out the victory. Senior Robyn Parks led all players with 26 points, while three other VCU players scored in double figures.

The Series
The Phoenix and the Rams have met twice before with Elon taking the wins in both contests. The first meeting was in 1981, while the second came just a year ago on Nov. 12, 2012. The maroon and gold claimed a 74-58 win after going on a 29-5 run that spanned 14 minutes through both halves. Kelsey Evans capped the win with an impressive line of 13 points, 17 rebounds, five blocks and four assists.

Double The Trouble
The maroon and gold saw a wealth of double-doubles in its game at UNCW with great performances by Kelsey Harris and Jenifer Rhodes. Harris, 16 points and 10 assists, and Rhodes, 12 points and 10 rebounds, join Sam Coffer to make three double-double performances for the Phoenix in two games this season. Coffer scored 14 points and 14 rebounds against WSSU.

Dishing It Out
Kelsey Harris’ 10 assists at UNCW on Nov. 13 was the most assists in a game by an Elon player since Tiffany Davis recorded 12 in 2009. Not even former guard Ali Ford ever notched more than eight assists in her storied career. Harris is now averaging an impressive 8.5 assists per game.

Student-Athlete of the Week
The Southern Conference named Sam Coffer its Student-Athlete of the Week on Nov. 13. Coffer posted a double-double in Elon’s win over Winston-Salem State on Nov. 8, scoring 14 points and posted a new career high with 14 rebounds. She went 3-for-6 from the field to shoot 50 percent and sank two threes to shoot 67 percent from beyond the arc. At the charity stripe, she knocked down six of her seven attempts for an 86 percent mark from the line. The Greensboro, N.C., native also dished out four assists, recorded two blocks and one steal. Coffer currently holds a 3.98 GPA in biochemistry.

Worthy Rookies
Jenifer Rhodes made an unforgettable collegiate debut on Nov. 13 against UNCW with a double-double after 12 points and 10 rebounds. The last time an Elon freshman posted a double-double in her first game was when Kelsey Evans did so in 2009 against Youngstown State. At the same time, Lauren Brown is looking strong with back-to-back double figure scoring appearances in Elon’s first two games. Brown tallied 10 points against WSSU and 13 points at UNCW to average a current 11.5 points per game.

Looking Ahead
Elon will return home to Alumni Gym for its last game before the Thanksgiving holiday. The Phoenix will host East Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 23, in a 2 p.m. tip. After that, Elon will make a trip to Nashville, Tenn., for the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament.