Elon Women’s Basketball Set to Host 49ers Thursday

ELON, N.C. – The Elon women’s basketball team (1-1) returns to Alumni Gym on Thursday, Nov. 19, to host in-state opponent Charlotte (2-0) in a 7 p.m. tip. Tickets can be purchased through the Elon Ticket Office. Admission is $15 for courtside seats, $8 for reserved seats and $5 for youth (12 and under).

Last Time Out
Holding an eight-point advantage at the break, the Phoenix was not able to hold off a second-half surge from Liberty as the Flames claimed a 72-63 final in Lynchburg, Va., on Monday. Elon saw four players reach double figures led by 14 points from Josepha Mbouma. The senior went 4-of-8, including 2-of-3 from three, and a perfect 4-of-4 from the line and also hauled in six rebounds. Essence Baucom posted 13 points followed by 12 from Lauren Brown. Shay Burnett finished with a team-high eight boards and also added 10 points.

Scouting the 49ers
Charlotte is off to a 2-0 start on the year after home wins over Ball State and Robert Morris. Despite only eight players seeing action in the two games, the 49ers are outscoring opponents, 83-69.5. Charlotte is shooting 45.8 percent from the field, including 42.1 percent from long distance, and has only missed six free throws so far for an 87.5 percent mark from the line. Three 49er players are averaging in double figures in Ciara Gregory (21.5 ppg), Alexis Alexander (16 ppg) and Lefty Webster (15.5 ppg) with Alexander shooting 70.6 percent. Charlotte has seen outstanding games from at least one player in both outings with Gregory scoring 27 points against the Cardinals and Alexander posting 30 points against the Colonials.

The Series
The series between the two programs dates back to 1978 when the teams played five times in the span of three years before rekindling the rivalry in 2011. Charlotte owns the advantage, 4-3, but Elon has won three of the last four, including last year’s meeting. The Phoenix shot 43 percent from the field with a 40 percent mark from three in the game last year to claim a 67-54 victory in Charlotte, N.C.

Stop, Thief!
The Elon defense tallied an impressive 14 steals in its win over Lenoir-Rhyne on Nov. 14 and another 10 at Liberty on Nov. 16. The Phoenix is averaging 12 steals per game, while opponents are only managing six.

Mbouma Shines
Senior Josepha Mbouma was on fire in the first 23 minutes of the game against Liberty on Nov. 16. The senior was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field, including two baskets from beyond the arc, and another perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe for 14 total points.

Head Coach Charlotte Smith
Elon head coach Charlotte Smith is in her fifth season with the Phoenix and owns a 70-58 career record. Smith has led Elon to three straight conference tournament semifinal appearances, as well as an at-large bid to the 2015 WNIT, the first in program history, after a 19-13 overall record and 11-7 league mark in its first season in the Colonial Athletic Association.

Looking Ahead
The Phoenix goes on the road for its next two games, beginning with a stop in the nation’s capital to take on American on Sunday, Nov. 22. Tip is set for 7 p.m. in Washington, D.C.