Elon WBB Phoenix Faces Off at College of Charleston on Sunday

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University women’s basketball team closes out a two-game road swing at College of Charleston on Sunday, Feb. 10, in a Colonial Athletic Association contest. The Phoenix and the Cougars are set for a 2 p.m. tip-off from TD Arena.

GAME NOTES

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The game will be streamed through College of Charleston’s athletic website at cofcsports.com. Fans can also listen to the game on WSOE 89.3 with Matt Holzapfel and Andrew Vendelis on the call. Other updates of the game between the Phoenix and the Cougars will be provided on Twitter at the handle @ElonWBasketball.

Series History (Elon leads 18-14)
The Phoenix has holds an 18-14 advantage versus the Cougars and have won 10 in a row and 14 out of the last 15. Elon defeated CofC 76-68 on Jan. 11, in the Phoenix’s league home-opener at Schar Center. Lexi Mercer tied a career-high with 19 points for Elon while knocking down four three-pointers. Emily Maupin added 18 points for the maroon and gold.

Last Time Out
UNCW defeated Elon, 76-51, in the most recent contest played by Elon on Friday, Feb. 8. The loss was the seventh straight setback for the maroon and gold as the Seahawks earned the series sweep over the Phoenix. Brie Perpignan was the lone player to score in double figures with 10 points as Elon shot 17-of-49 from the floor.

Fastbreaks
• Elon comes into Sunday’s contest with a 7-14 overall record and a 2-8 ledger in the CAA, which is currently ninth overall in the standings.
• This weekend starts the second-half of the Phoenix’s CAA season. After being tied for the fewest league home games in the first half of the CAA season, Elon’s schedule becomes more favorable on its home court with five games at Schar Center in the final nine games.
• Elon is seventh in the CAA in scoring at 64.1 points per game. The Phoenix is also in the top-seven of the league in field goal percentage at .396 percent.
• Maupin has been a key part of the Phoenix’s offense this season. The Charlottesville, Va., native is averaging a team-high 12.2 points per game after only averaging less than two a game during her freshman year. She has also scored in double figures in 13 games and is averaging 12.7 PPG during CAA play.
• Six different players have led or tied the team-lead in scoring for the Phoenix this season, led by Maupin.
• Maupin is third in the CAA in field-goal percentage at .495 percent. Her team-high 6.6 boards per game is eighth overall in the league.
• Perpignan has scored in double figures in four of the last five games and is averaging 12.0 points per game in that stretch.
• Jaylin Powell leads the CAA in three-point percentage at .440 percent. The Raleigh, N.C., native is shooting .500 percent from downtown in league games.
• Elon returns eight letterwinners from its team that successfully defended its Colonial Athletic Association Tournament title and made a return trip to the NCAA Tournament a year ago.
• The Phoenix closed out 2017-18 with a 25-8 record overall and a 14-4 mark during league play including a 13-game winning streak to close out the regular season and conference tournament.
• The Phoenix was tabbed to finish third in the 2018-19 CAA Preseason Poll as conducted by the league’s head coaches on Oct. 18. Elon received one first-place vote en route to 61 points for a tie for third place. James Madison (79 points) and Drexel (71 points) were selected in front of the Phoenix, who tied with Delaware for third with 61 points.
• Elon returns three starters from last year’s team including sophomore guard Saadia Munford, an CAA All-Rookie team selection in 2017-18. Munford was chosen as a Preseason All-CAA selection this season with her spot on the third team.
• Additionally, the Phoenix added five newcomers to the 2018-19 roster, which will again be one of the youngest in the nation with only two upperclassmen and no seniors.

Scouting College of Charleston (7-14, 3-7 CAA)
CofC sits above the Phoenix in the CAA standings with its 3-7 record in league play after earning a two-point victory versus William & Mary on Friday, 79-77. The victory was the second straight for the Cougars, who had lost five in a row prior to winning two straight. Two out of three of Charleston’s CAA wins have come on its home floor, where CofC is 5-6 overall on the year.

The Cougars are fifth in the CAA in scoring at 64.4 points per game and fourth overall in field goal percentage at .400 percent. Senior guard Darien Huff leads the Cougars in scoring at 13.4 points per game and has scored 20 or more points in the past two games. The Elizabethtown, Ky., native is also third in the CAA in three-point field goal percentage at .412 percent. Deja Ford is close to Huff at 13.2 points per game and is leading the team in scoring during league play at 13.7 points per contest.

Schar Center
After playing its home games in Alumni Gym since the start of the program in 1972, Elon moves into its new facility, Schar Center, this season. The 5,100-seat facility will provide an elite venue for Phoenix basketball and volleyball games in addition to convocations, speakers and other major campus events. The facility is named for Dwight and Martha Schar, of Palm Beach, Fla.

20-Game Winners
With 25 victories last season, Elon posted back-to-back 20-win campaigns for the first time as a Division I program. Overall, Elon has posted three 20-win seasons during the Division I era.

Up Next
Elon welcomes William & Mary to Schar Center next Sunday, Feb. 17, at 1 p.m. The program will host its annual Play4Kay game in honor of breast cancer awareness. Fans are also encouraged to donate to Play4Kay on the behalf of the Elon women’s basketball program and can do so by going to https://support.kayyow.com/elonwbasketball or go to the team’s schedule page.