Elon Women’s Basketball Hosts Western Carolina in Play 4Kay Game Monday

ELON, N.C. – The Elon women’s basketball team (11-9, 8-3) will be lacing up its pink shoes once again this February, beginning with its annual Play 4Kay game against Western Carolina (6-14, 4-7) on Monday, Feb. 4, in Alumni Gym. All fans are encouraged to wear pink to the 7 p.m. game. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for all youth 12 and under.

Monday, Feb. 4
Site: Elon, N.C. (Alumni Gym)
Series: Elon leads, 19-17
Last Meeting: Dec. 3, 2012 – Elon won, 64-48
Radio: WSOE 89.3 FM – Ryan Balick and Matt Krause will have the call

Last Time Out
Elon suffered an 80-62 setback at Appalachian State on Saturday. The shots did not fall for the Phoenix as the team finished 30 percent shooting from the field. Ali Ford, who played limited time due to foul trouble, led the maroon and gold with 18 points. Kelsey Harris matched her career high of 11 rebounds, while rookies Autumn Carter and Jessica Farmer each contributed eight points.

Scouting the Catamounts
Western Carolina is coming off a 60-59 win at UNCG on Saturday and now owns a 4-7 Southern Conference record. Rena Wakama is the Catamount’s leading scorer with 7.8 points per game and has scored in double figures in four of the last six games. Shauna Terry is the leader on the boards, averaging 5.7 a game. WCU is coached by Karen Middleton, who is in her fourth season with the Catamounts

The Series
The Phoenix has won the last three over the Catamounts to grab a 19-17 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams met earlier this season in Cullowhee, N.C., with Elon claiming a 16-point victory, 64-48. Ali Ford and Kelsey Evans both finished with 14 points. Evans posted a double-double with 10 boards, while Ford tied her career high of eight assists. As a team, the Phoenix shot 50 percent from the field and scored 34 points in the paint.

Play 4Kay
Play 4Kay, formerly known as WBCA Pink Zone, is an initiative that allows a nation of coaches to raise awareness and funds for cancer research on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. The official charity is the Kay You Cancer Fund. The late Kay Yow, former Elon and NC State University head women’s basketball coach, served as the catalyst for Play 4Kay after her third recurrence of breast cancer in 2006. Yow was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 and passed away in January 24, 2009. The cause is especially close to the Phoenix as Yow was the first head coach of the women’s basketball program and served in that role for four years.

Common Threads
Elon assistant coach Cristy McKinney played for Kay Yow at NC State from 1976-79. McKinney scored 1,359 career points and grabbed 600 rebounds for Yow and the Wolfpack. As a player at North Carolina, Elon head coach Charlotte Smith took the hardwood against Yow on several occasions. Smith’s uncle, David Thompson, was a standout men’s basketball player at NC State while Yow was the head women’s basketball coach. Thompson and Yow are both members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Road to the Top
Ali Ford broke Elon’s all-time three-point record last season and is closing in on the Southern Conference record. Ford has made 314 career three-pointers, which is two shy of the record set by Chattanooga’s Brooke Hand (315) from 2005-08.

Looking Ahead
The Phoenix will begin a three-game road swing, starting with a rematch at Chattanooga on Saturday, Feb. 9. Tip is scheduled for 5 p.m.