Elon Women’s Basketball Set for Tuesday Game at Navy

ELON, N.C. – For the second straight game, the Elon women’s basketball team (3-1) faces a Patriot League opponent with its next game coming at Navy (2-1) on Tuesday, Nov. 24. Tip is set for 7 p.m. in Alumni Hall in Annapolis, Md.

Last Time Out
A 13-2 run in the final five minutes of the third period helped Elon to a 62-54 final over American for its second straight win. Shay Burnett led all players with 20 points after a 5-of-6 performance from the field, including one three, and a 9-of-11 mark from the charity stripe to go along with five boards. Malaya Johnson finished 4-of-8 and had three free throws for 11 points and grabbed a team-high six rebounds. The Phoenix finished 17-of-49 from the field for a 35 percent mark and hit four baskets from beyond the arc to shoot 31 percent. The Eagles went 19-of-49 to shoot 39 percent and were held to a 23 percent clip from three. The teams finished even on the glass, 24-all.

Scouting the Mids
Navy is coming off a 52-48 home win over North Carolina A&T on Sunday to move to 2-1 on the year. The Mids started the season with a two-point loss to Colonial Athletic Association team Hofstra, 65-63, but has rebounded with victories in its last two games. Navy has three players averaging in double figures with Ashanti Kennedy leading the way with 14 points per game, while also hauling down a team-high 7.3 rebounds per game. Sarita Condie and Taylor Durham post 11.3 and 10.0 points per game with Condie handing out a team-high 11 assists this season. The Mids are shooting 35 percent from the field, including 26 percent from three, but trail in the rebounding margin by 6.7 per game.

The Series
Tuesday marks only the third meeting between the Phoenix and the Mids with both previous games played in Alumni Gym. The series is split with Navy taking a 68-61 win on Nov. 14, 2009, and Elon claiming a 69-56 victory on Nov. 16 of last year. Lauren Brown posted 13 points and seven rebounds in the game last season, while Essence Baucom added 10 points for the maroon and gold.

Player of the Week Honors
On Monday, Nov. 23, Elon’s Shay Burnett was named the CAA Player of the Week for the first time in her career. Burnett averaged 19.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 30.7 minutes per game to help the Phoenix to a 2-1 record that week. The sophomore went 14-of-29 from the field to shoot 48.3 percent, including two three-pointers, and went 28-of-32 from the charity stripe for an 88 percent mark. After scoring 10 points at Liberty, Burnett nearly tallied a triple-double with 28 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists (all new career-highs) in a win over Charlotte. She also had two other career highs against the 49ers after going 15-of-16 from the free-throw line and had three steals. In a victory at American, Burnett posted 20 points, going 5-of-6 from the field and 9-of-11 from the charity stripe, to go with five boards and another career-high three steals. The Graham, N.C., native has scored in double figures in all four games this season, including posting 20+ points in the last two outings.

CAA Connection
Both Elon’s last and next opponent have faced off against fellow CAA program Hofstra this season. American fell to the Pride by nine on its home court, while Navy lost by two in Hempstead, N.Y. The Phoenix finished with an eight-point victory over AU.

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 10.3 steals per game, while opponents are only managing 6.5.

Head Coach Charlotte Smith
Elon head coach Charlotte Smith is in her fifth season with the Phoenix and owns a 72-58 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.

Home-Court Advantage
Alumni Gym has proven to be a tough place to play for opponents under head coach Charlotte Smith. The maroon and gold is 45-15 in Alumni Gym in five seasons under Coach Smith. The Phoenix went 10-5 at home during the 2014-15 season after a 10-4 record during the 2013-14 season. The Phoenix has lost no more than five games at home in a season and out scored its opponents 1,001-963 on Robertson Court last year.

Looking Ahead
Elon returns home to host East Tennessee State after the Thanksgiving holiday on Sunday, Nov. 29, for a 2 p.m. tip in Alumni Gym.