Elon WBB Set to Face #21 Duke on Thursday

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University women’s basketball team plays its third straight game versus a member of the ACC on Thursday night, Dec. 8, as the Phoenix takes on 21st-ranked Duke. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. Fans can watch the game on WatchESPN or listen on WSOE 89.3 FM.

THE SERIES: Thursday marks the eighth all-time meeting between Elon and Duke. Elon leads the series, 4-3, but has lost three straight versus the Blue Devils since transitioning to the Division I ranks. The two teams last met during the 2003-04 season in Durham, as Duke came away with a 108-26 win. Duke has won the last three meetings against Elon by an average of 63 points per game. Duke has been nationally ranked the previous two times Elon has faced them. Duke was No. 4 in both 2001 and 2003 it played Elon.

COMMON THREADS: Elon senior guard Maddie McCallie will be playing against her mother on Thursday night, as Duke is led by 10th-year head coach Joanne P. McCallie.

LOOKING BACK: Elon nearly knocked off instate rival North Carolina on Sunday night, Dec. 4, in Chapel Hill, N.C., but the costly turnovers down the stretch led to a 78-73 win for the Tar Heels. Shay Burnett recorded her second straight double-double with 12 points and 10 boards, while Essence Baucom and Ra’Shika White each tallied a team-high 17 points. Elon out-rebounded UNC, 42-28, and the Phoenix bench outscored its counterparts, 26-11. The game marked the first in Chapel Hill for UNC alumnus and Elon head coach Charlotte Smith, whose jersey hangs from the rafters at Carmichael Arena. The Tar Heels gave away Charlotte Smith bobble heads at the game.

WHITE NAMED ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Ra’Shika White was named the Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week on Monday, Dec. 5. White went 8-of-9 from the floor for 17 points against UNC and hauled down eight boards and blocked four shots.

ELON vs. THE ACC: Elon has a 19-20 mark all-time against current members of the ACC. Elon is 2-9 against UNC, 14-3 against Wake Forest, 4-3 against Duke, 1-8 against NC State, 0-2 against Georgia Tech and 0-3 against Virginia Tech. Since making the transition to the Division I ranks, Elon has one win against an ACC foe – last year’s victory over NC State.

ELON vs. POWER FIVE: Elon’s win on Nov. 14 over Rutgers marked its first over a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Phoenix went into the game 0-1 versus current Big Ten members with a setback against Wisconsin in 2000-01. All time, Elon has an overall record of 24-38 against current Power Five schools.

ELON vs. NATIONALLY RANKED TEAMS: Elon is 0-9 all-time versus nationally ranked teams. The Phoenix dropped a hard-fought 78-63 decision at second-ranked South Carolina last season. Counting this year, seven of Elon’s 10 games against nationally ranked teams have come against schools from the ACC.

LOOKING AHEAD: Following Thursday’s game, Elon travels to Johnson City, Tenn., to face East Tennessee State on Dec. 17. Elon is in the midst of a 32-day stretch between home games. Elon’s last home game was Nov. 26 against Wake Forest. Its next home game is Dec. 28 against King.

MILESTONE WATCH: With 84 points this season, senior guard Lauren Brown has accumulated 866 career points heading into Thursday’s game. Not far behind, senior forward Jenifer Rhodes has 812 career points and junior guard Shay Burnett has tallied 820 career points.

OFF THE BENCH: The Elon reserves have been outstanding so far this season, outscoring their counterparts by a 52-point margin on the year, 153-101. Jada Graves is averaging 8.4 points per game off the bench, while Ra’Shika White is averaging 8.2 points per contest.

HEAD COACH CHARLOTTE SMITH: Elon head coach Charlotte Smith is in her sixth season with the Phoenix and owns career record of 91-73. Smith has led Elon to two straight WNIT appearances and three overall post-season appearances in the last five seasons. Her teams have won 18 or more games in three of the last four seasons heading into 2016-17.