CAA Announces 2016-17 Women’s Basketball League Schedule (Elon)

RICHMOND, Va. – The Colonial Athletic Association released its women’s basketball league schedule today, Sept. 7, for the 2016-17 season. The regular-season slate, which has all 10 teams facing each other at home and on the road in an 18-game schedule, opens on Monday, Jan. 2, and concludes on Wednesday, March 1. The schedule primarily follows a Friday/Sunday format throughout the season.

ELON CAA SCHEDULE

The Phoenix opens its CAA season and its first game of 2017 at home in Alumni Gym on Monday, Jan. 2, against College of Charleston. Elon has won five straight and nine of the last 10 meetings against the Cougars, dating back to when both teams were members of the Southern Conference.

On Friday, Jan. 6, Elon travels to Philadelphia to take on Drexel. The Phoenix has never beaten the Dragons in the four games the two have played over the last two seasons. The maroon and gold concludes the weekend with a home game against Delaware on Sunday, Jan. 8. The Phoenix holds a 4-1 advantage in the series, which includes two overtime games, but the last game went the way of the Blue Hens in the 2016 CAA Championship.

The Phoenix makes the return trip to CofC on Friday, Jan. 13, in Charleston, S.C., before taking on Drexel for the second time in as many weeks in Alumni Gym on Sunday, Jan. 15.

Elon remains on its home court to host three-time reigning CAA champion James Madison on Friday, Jan. 20. The maroon and gold is also looking for its first victory against the Dukes with the last three games being decided by a combined nine points. The last time the two met in Alumni Gym, the game went to overtime with JMU taking an 81-76 win. The weekend concludes with a trip to Williamsburg, Va., on Sunday, Jan. 22, to face William & Mary. Elon holds a 5-3 advantage in the all-time series against the Tribe and has won the last five games, including a 74-64 final in Kaplan Arena last season.

The team ventures to the northeast to close out the month of January with games at Northeastern and Hofstra. Elon plays the Huskies in Boston on Friday, Jan. 27, where the maroon and gold has won the last two times it has played in the Cabot Center. Both wins have come by a total of five points with last-second baskets in both contests. On Sunday, Jan. 29, the Phoenix meets the Pride of Hofstra in Hempstead, N.Y. Each team has won two games since first meeting in 2015 with all four finals coming by 10 points or less.

The Phoenix returns home to Alumni Gym for the first time in two weeks on Friday, Feb. 3, to host Towson. Elon won the game over the Tigers, 80-58, last year at home to take a 3-1 lead in the series. On Sunday, Feb. 5, the maroon and gold travels east down I-40 to take on in-state conference opponent UNCW. Since the Seahawks claimed the first two meetings in the CAA in 2015, the Phoenix has won the last three straight, including a 67-60 final in Wilmington, N.C., last year.

After playing Northeastern at home on Friday, Feb. 10, Elon heads to Harrisonburg, Va., to face the Dukes in the new JMU Convocation Center. The Phoenix fell in a 73-72 heartbreaker at JMU last year.

Elon stays in Alumni Gym the entire next weekend when it hosts both Hofstra on Friday, Feb. 17, and William & Mary on Sunday, Feb. 19. The Phoenix claimed a 61-60 victory against the Pride and a 73-51 final over the Tribe at home last season.

The Phoenix plays its final two regular-season road contests the following weekend beginning with a game at Delaware in Newark, Del., on Friday, Feb. 24. Last season, the maroon and gold won a double-overtime thriller, 66-64, in the Bob Carpenter Center last season. Elon then travels to Towson, Md., on Sunday, Feb. 26, for the return trip against Towson.

Elon closes out the regular season in Alumni Gym on Wednesday, March 1, against UNCW. The game will also mark senior night for the team’s five seniors – Essence Baucom, Lauren Brown, Jenifer Rhodes, Lenaira Ruffin and Maddie McCallie.

The CAA Women’s Basketball Championship will be hosted by James Madison, March 8-11, at the JMU Convocation Center in Harrisonburg.

All dates for CAA conference games are subject to change. Elon’s non-conference schedule will be announced at a later date.