Elon WBB Phoenix Looks to Remain Unbeaten at High Point

ELON, N.C. – The Elon women’s basketball team (4-0) returns to action after the Thanksgiving holiday to take on its second straight Big South opponent High Point (2-3) on Sunday, Nov. 30, in High Point, N.C., for a 3 p.m. tip.

Last Time Out
Elon moved to a 4-0 record on the season after a 73-62 win over Liberty on Tuesday in Alumni Gym. The Phoenix never trailed in the game and responded to ever effort the Flames had to climb back into the game. The closest Liberty came in the final seven minutes was within nine points and sent Elon to the line nine times in the final 60 seconds with the Phoenix hitting eight of the opportunities from the charity stripe. Zora Stephenson recorded her third game of the season in double figures with 14 points, while rookie Shay Burnett had a 4-of-7 night from the field for a career-high 11 points. Essence Baucom led the team on the boards with six rebounds and continued to put the ball in the right place for her teammates with eight assists.

Scouting the Panthers
High Point, a team that went to the WNIT last season, is 2-3 on the season after a 76-57 loss in its last game at Davidson. The Panthers are shooting 43 percent from the field but are only hitting 26 percent of its shots from beyond the arc and 68 percent from the free throw line. HPU has three players averaging in double figures – Stacia Robertson (15.8 ppg), Kaylah Keys (14.6 ppg) and DeAnneisha Jackson (12.6 ppg). Robertson also leads the team in rebounding with 8.8 rebounds/game and has also tallied 12 blocks on the season.

The Series
Elon has played High Point more than any other school in program history. Sunday marks the 75th meeting of the two programs that dates back to 1972. HPU owns the slight advantage in the series, 38-36, after taking the win in the last five games. The Phoenix and the Panthers last played on Jan. 15, 2009, with HPU claiming the home victory, 82-48.

Starting 4-0
Elon is 4-0 on the season for the first time under head coach Charlotte Smith and the first time in the 21st century. The last time the Phoenix started 4-0 was during the 1997-98 season. The Phoenix has not begun the year 5-0 since 1995, which was prior to the transition to the Division I level.

The Century Mark
Sam Coffer is nearing the century mark in career games played. The senior has played in 95 games so far in a Phoenix uniform and has earned the start in 89 of those contests.

From the Field
Elon is second in the CAA in field-goal percentage and first in field-goal percentage defense. The Phoenix owns a 44 shooting percentage four games into the season, while holding opponents to a 33 percent clip. Rookie Malaya Johnson ranks seventh with her 52.2 shooting percentage, while Sam Coffer is currently 11th with a 48 percent mark.

Beyond the Arc
The Phoenix is shooting 37 percent from the three-point line and is second in the league in the long-distance shooting category. The team is first in three-point defense with opponents only shooting 18.9 from beyond the arc. Three Elon players currently rank in the top 10 in the conference in three-point field goal percentage. Lauren Brown ranks first (53.8 percent), Sam Coffer is sixth (41.2 percent) and Zora Stephenson sits in eighth (38.2).

Head Coach Charlotte Smith
Elon head coach Charlotte Smith is in her fourth season with the Phoenix and owns a 54-44 career record. Smith led Elon to its second straight Southern Conference Tournament semifinal appearance and a 10-8 overall conference record last season.

Looking Ahead
Elon remains on the road for its next game on Sunday, Dec. 7, when it travels down I-40 to take on North Carolina State in a 2 p.m. tip in Reynolds Coliseum.