Elon WBB Begins Road Swing at Delaware

ELON, N.C. – Finishing out its final road swing of the regular season, the Elon University women’s basketball team heads to Delaware for a Colonial Athletic Association matchup on Friday, March 1, at the Bob Carpenter Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

GAME NOTES

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The game will be streamed on Hens All-Access at bluehens.com or on Youtube.com. Fans can also listen to the game on WSOE 89.3 with Andrew Vendelis and Drew Gentry on the call. Other updates of the game between the Phoenix and the Blue Hens will be provided on Twitter at the handle @ElonWBasketball.

Series History (Elon leads 7-3)
The Phoenix and the Blue Hens conclude their regular-season series with the 11th all-time matchup on Friday. Elon leads the all-time series, 7-3, but fell earlier in the season to Delaware, 74-63, at Schar Center on Feb. 3. Brie Perpignan scored a career-high 20 points in the contest for the Phoenix while Jaylin Powell added 12 points while going 3-of-6 from three-point land.

Last Time Out
Elon battled in a close contest against Towson in its most recent game on Sunday, Feb. 24, but suffered a 59-50 defeat at the hands of the Tigers at Schar Center. Perpignan again led the Phoenix offensively with 14 points, the sixth time this season she has paced the team in scoring. The Alexandria, Va., native shot 5-of-10 from the field and also was 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Ariana Nance tied her season-best with 10 points off the bench while Emily Maupin also added 10.

Fastbreaks
• Elon comes into Sunday’s contest with an 8-17 overall record and a 3-11 ledger in the CAA, which is currently eighth overall in the standings ahead of Charleston and Hofstra.
• Elon is sixth in the CAA in scoring at 63.0 points per game. The Phoenix is also in the top-four of the league in free throw percentage at .709 and three-point percentage at .310.
• Perpignan has come on strong during league play in her first season with the Phoenix. The Alexandria, Va., native had her 10th double-digit scoring game of the season against the Tigers and the seventh out of her last nine games. She is averaging 9.4 points per game during CAA play, but has averaged 11.7 points per contest in the past 10 games, leading the team.
• Maupin has led the Phoenix in scoring nine times this season and continues to be a key part of the Phoenix offense. The Charlottesville, Va., native is averaging a team-high 11.8 points per game after only averaging less than two a game during her freshman year. She has also scored in double figures in 15 games and is averaging 11.9 PPG during CAA play.
• Maupin is in the top-five of the CAA in field-goal percentage at .475 percent. Her team-high 6.4 boards per game is eighth overall in the league.
• Powell has provided a scoring boost for the Phoenix beyond the arc this season. The Raleigh, N.C., native currently leads the CAA in three-point percentage at .435 percent and is knocking down .463 percent from downtown in league games. Her percentage would stand as the best single-season performance in school history.
• 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 Delaware (13-13, 8-6 CAA)
Delaware enters Friday’s matchup with a 13-13 overall record and an 8-6 mark in CAA play after loss at UNCW, 72-64, on Sunday. The Blue Hens are averaging 61.4 points per game (ranks eighth in the CAA) on .374 field goal (10th), .304 three-point (seventh) and .664 free throw (eighth) shooting.

Samone DeFreese is the lone player for Delaware averaging in double figures at 10.7 points per game. The Bergenfield, N.J., native had scored in double figures in three straight games before UNCW including a season-high 31 points versus Northeastern on Feb. 15. She also put up 16 points against the Phoenix earlier in the season. DeFreese is also sixth in the CAA in rebounding at 6.7 boards per contest while her teammate Jasmine Dickey is second in the league at 8.7 rebounds per game. Guard Abby Gonzales is 10th in the CAA in minutes per game (32.5), fifth in assist to turnover ratio (1.3) and sixth in three-pointers made.

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 closes out its road trip with a visit to Drexel on Sunday, March 3. That game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.