Elon Women’s Basketball Hosts Spartans Saturday in Alumni Gym

ELON, N.C. – The Elon women’s basketball team (8-12, 4-5 SoCon) returns home after a tough road trip to host local rival UNCG (5-15, 1-8 SoCon) on Saturday, Feb. 1, in Alumni Gym. Tip against the Spartans is set for 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for all youth 12 and under.

Elon vs. UNCG
Date: Saturday, Feb. 1
Time: 2 p.m.
Site: Elon, N.C. (Alumni Gym)
Series: UNCG leads, 24-19
Last Meeting: Jan. 4, 2014 – UNCG won, 73-62
Radio: WSOE – 89.3 FM – Matt Krause and Jake Sotir will have the call

Last Time Out
Elon suffered another tough setback in its last game, falling to Wofford, 68-65. A three by Zora Stephenson with 42 seconds left on the clock put the Phoenix within one point and it remained a one-possession game even after a basket by the Terriers with 15 ticks remaining. The maroon and gold had a chance as the clock expired but was not able to hit the necessary shot to tie the game. Jessica Farmer led the team with 14 points, while Lauren Brown also posted 12 points and five assists.

Scouting the Spartans
UNCG’s only conference win this season was its victory over Elon in the first game of 2014. The Spartans are currently on a six-game losing skid, including a 73-64 defeat in its last game at Furman. UNCG ranks second in the league in offensive rebounds (15.2/game) but has a negative scoring margin of 9.7 points. Lucy Mason and Janae’ Stevenson average in double figures for the Spartans with Mason ranking in the top 10 in the conference in scoring with 12.6 points per game.

The Series
The Spartans are the owners of the all-time series, 24-19, which will see its 43rd meeting between the two teams on Saturday. In the two games a season from 2012-13, Elon won all four games by an average of almost 14 points. UNCG earned its first win over the Phoenix since Feb. 10, 2011, on Jan. 4 in Greensboro, 73-62.

Smith to Miss UNCG Game
Due to two recent deaths in her family, Elon head coach Charlotte Smith will not coach Saturday’s game against the Spartans. Assistant coach Cristy McKinney will coach the game in Smith’s absence.

Beyond The Arc
Elon leads the SoCon and ranks 21st in the nation in three-point field-goal percentage. The Phoenix is shooting 35.7 percent from long distance with the help of Zora Stephenson, who is first in the league in three-point field goals per game (2.35/game).

Academic All-District
On Jan. 30, it was announced that junior Sam Coffer had been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team. The forward holds a 3.93 GPA in biochemistry and has earned a start in all of Elon’s games this season. The Greensboro, N.C., native leads the team on the boards and in blocks, ranking ninth in the league in rebounds per game and third in blocked shots/game. Coffer is now eligible for Academic All-America status.

Looking Ahead
The Phoenix will remain home in Alumni Gym next weekend and play in the first game of an Elon basketball doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 8. Both programs will play Georgia Southern with the women’s tip set for 4 p.m. The game will be the team’s annual Play 4Kay game and will air on ESPN3.