Elon Women’s Basketball Phoenix Welcomes Pirates to Alumni Saturday

ELON, N.C. – The Elon women’s basketball team (2-1) returns home after a two-game road swing for its final home game in the month of November as it hosts East Carolina (4-0) on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 2 p.m. in Alumni Gym. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for all youth 12 and under.

Elon vs. East Carolina
Date: Saturday, Nov. 23
Time: 2 p.m.
Site: Elon, N.C. (Alumni Gym)
Series: East Carolina leads, 8-2
Last Meeting: Dec. 29, 2012, in Greenville, N.C. – ECU won, 71-64
Radio: WSOE – 89.3 FM – Ryan Balick and Matt Krause will have the call
Twitter Updates: @ElonScores

Last Time Out
Elon took its first loss of the year in its last game on Sunday at VCU in the form of a 93-76 setback. Despite the loss, three Phoenix players scored in double figures, including a double-double for Sam Coffer, her second of the year. Coffer scored 18 points, setting a new career high with eight field goals, and hauled down 10 boards, while Zora Stephenson notched 21 points with five threes and Kelsey Harris scored 16 points along with six assists.

Scouting the Pirates
ECU is currently 4-0 on the season with wins over Virginia Intermont, George Mason, William & Mary and Loyola, however, this is the team’s first road game of the year. The Pirates are shooting almost 40 percent from the field and scoring nearly 80 points per game. ECU is led by sophomore forward Jada Payne who is averaging 17.5 ppg. On the boards, Ondrea Shaw leads the team with 30 rebounds for a 7.5 per game average.

The Series
The Pirates lead the all-time series, 8-2, having won the last six contests. Elon last took a win over ECU on Feb. 6, 1975, with a 71-64 final in Alumni Gym. Last year, the maroon and gold had a chance to tie the game with a three by Ali Ford with 24 seconds left, but the ball did not fall and ECU claimed a 71-64 win. The last time the two teams played in Alumni Gym was Jan. 17, 1978 – over 35 years ago.

Assist to (No) Turnover Ratio
Three games in to the season, Kelsey Harris is doing something very impressive – getting the ball to scorers with very little turnovers. Harris has dished out 23 total assists, averaging 7.7 per game, while only turning the ball over four times. At VCU, Harris recorded six assists without turning the ball over once in her 35 minutes on the court. The senior has an assist/turnover ratio of 5.8, which leads the conference. The Gastonia, N.C., native also leads the conference in total assists, averaging 3.4 assists per game more than the second ranking player in the league.

Freshman of the Week
On Nov. 19, the Southern Conference announced that Jenifer Rhodes had been named the CRONS Freshman of the Week. The rookie averaged 8.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in two games for the Phoenix, making her collegiate debut with a double-double (12 points and 10 boards) at UNC Wilmington. She followed that up with a nine-rebound performance at VCU. The North Charleston, S.C., native also tallied four total blocks in those games.

The Century Mark
Saturday’s game against East Carolina will mark Kelsey Harris’ 100th game in a Phoenix uniform. The senior has played in every contest for the maroon and gold since her freshman season and has made 82 career starts for Elon.

Looking Ahead
After Saturday’s game, Elon will travel to Nashville, Tenn., for the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament. The Phoenix will play the Commodores on Friday, Nov. 29, at 4 p.m. Then face either Wisconsin or Mercer in the championship or consolation game on Saturday, Nov. 30. The consolation game is scheduled for 4 p.m. followed by the championship game at 6:30 p.m.