Elon Women’s Basketball Hosts Eagles in Annual Play 4Kay Game

ELON, N.C. – The Elon women’s basketball team will host Georgia Southern in its annual Play 4Kay game Saturday, Feb. 8, in Alumni Gym. Tip is set for 4 p.m. and the game will also be broadcasted live on ESPN3. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for all youth 12 and under.

Elon (9-12, 5-5 SoCon) vs. Georgia Southern (7-15, 5-6 SoCon)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 8
Time: 4 p.m.
Site: Elon, N.C. (Alumni Gym)
Series: Tied, 11-11
Last Meeting: Jan. 13, 2014 – Elon won, 68-49
Radio: WSOE – 89.3 FM – Ryan Balick and Matt Krause will have the call
TV: ESPN3

Last Time Out
The Phoenix posted an impressive 80-57 win over local conference rival UNCG in its last game. Elon led by as much as 32 points in the final few minutes as Zora Stephenson scored 16 of her 18 total points in the second half. Lauren Brown (15 points), Jessica Farmer (12 points) and Kelsey Harris (10 points) made it four players in double figures. Brown and Harris each handed out seven assists to help the Phoenix to a team season-high 22 assists.

Scouting the Eagles
GSU is coming off back-to-back losses at home against Samford and Chattanooga. Prior to last weekend, the Eagles picked up wins on the road at Western Carolina and Appalachian State. The team is averaging 60 points per game, while opponents are scoring 69 points/game. GSU is led by Anna Claire Knight who averages 15.4 points each game and owns a 36 percent mark from three-point range. MiMi Dubose also scores in double figures with 11.3 points per game, while Danielle Spencer is the team’s leading rebounder with 8.4 boards/game.

The Series
The all-time series between the Phoenix and the Eagles is now tied at 11-all with Elon having won the last five games. In January, the maroon and gold picked up a 68-49 win in Statesboro, Ga., and won the meeting last season in Alumni Gym, 83-53. The Eagles’ last victory was a 71-69 win in overtime on Feb. 7, 2011.

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 Yow 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, as well as the volleyball 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.

Home Court Advantage
Alumni Gym has proved to be a tough place to play for opponents this season. The Phoenix is 7-3 at home this season, including a current three-game winning streak. Elon is outscoring opponents by an average margin of almost six points in Alumni Gym.

Looking Ahead
Elon will remain home in Alumni Gym and face the Davidson Wildcats on Monday, Feb. 10. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.