Phoenix Begins CAA Championship Against Blue Hens
ELON, N.C. – After an 11-7 record in the conference regular season, the Elon women’s basketball team heads to Upper Marlboro, Md., in search of its first CAA tournament title. The fourth-seeded Phoenix (18-11) begins the 2016 CAA Women’s Basketball Championship in the quarterfinals against fifth-seeded Delaware (15-14) on Thursday, March 10, at 2:30 p.m. in The Show Place Arena.
Last Time Out
Off a season-high 54 percent field goal percentage, Elon closed out the regular season on top with a 74-64 win at William & Mary on March 2 in Kaplan Arena. The Phoenix finished 27-of-50 from the field for the season-high mark, including a season-high 53.3 percent from three in conference play (8-of-15), and scored 34 points in the paint. The team also tallied another season-high 86 percent from the line, going 12-of-14. Elon dominated on the boards, 42-19, held a 35-8 advantage in bench points and tallied seven total blocks in the game. Autumn Carter went 7-of-9 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from the line for a season-high 17 points and also hauled down a team-high eight rebounds. Rookie Nikki McDonald posted a new career-high 14 points off another career 6-of-7 night from the field, including 2-for-2 from long distance. Shay Burnett fell just short of a double-double with 10 points and a career-high matching nine assists to go with seven boards, three steals and two blocks.
Scouting the Blue Hens
Delaware finished the regular season with a 15-14 overall record and a 10-8 mark in conference play to earn the fifth seed in the tournament. The team is second in the CAA in three-point field goal percentage with a 33.5 percent mark and ranks third in the league in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to a 36.1 percent mark. All-CAA selections Courtni Green and Erika Brown lead UD in scoring with 12.3 points and 11.4 points per game, respectively, and both rank in the top 15 in the CAA. Green is fourth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage (37.1 percent) and second in three-point field goals made (2.2/game). Nicole Enabosi, a member of the CAA All-Rookie Team, is the team’s leading rebounder with 6.9 boards/game and is 10th in the league.
The Series
Since the series began last year, Elon has won all four meetings against Delaware, including two that have gone into overtime. During the 2014-15 season, the Phoenix claimed a 60-50 win in Newark, Del., on Jan. 4, 2015, and a one-point win, 77-76, in overtime to close out last year’s regular season in Alumni Gym on March 4, 2015. This season, the two teams played a double overtime thriller that ended in favor of the Phoenix, 66-64, on Feb. 7 in Newark after Shay Burnett bounced an inbounds pass off a UD defender to grab the ball and make a layup as time expired. The basket gave Elon the victory and kept the game from a third overtime. Delaware visited Alumni Gym on Feb. 26 as the maroon and gold won, 62-45.
Quotable – Elon Head Coach Charlotte Smith
On playing Delaware…
“It’s going to be a knock-down, drag-out fight. We’ve been able to win both games (this season), although not easily, so they’re going to be prepared to come out and fight. We have to be really focused in on them and the tournament and playing from the jump ball.”
On the biggest difference from last year’s tournament to this year…
“The biggest difference is experience. Last year we played two freshmen in Shay Burnett and Malaya Johnson. That’s a lot to ask of two freshmen on such a big stage. I feel like they matured as players over the last year and are better mentally prepared for the tournament.”
On what has worked for the team this season…
“I think the consistent play both inside and out. We talked about being a balanced team and we have to make sure that we’re getting it done on both sides. I feel like the last couple of games we’ve focused on the things that you can control – defense and rebounding. I think that’s helped us to be successful.”
Keys to success against Delaware
“The two controllables – defense and rebounding. I think those are the things that have given us the edge in most of our games. If we can focus on those two things, that will help us out tremendously. We haven’t shot the ball particularly well consistently throughout the season, so those are the two things that don’t take skills but heart and effort.”
All-Conference Honors
The conference announced its women’s basketball postseason honors on Tuesday, March 8, with three Elon players earning spots on the various all-conference teams. Shay Burnett was named to the All-CAA First Team, while Lauren Brown and Autumn Carter were selected to the CAA All-Academic Team. Burnett is the youngest player on this year’s first team and the first Elon player to earn conference first team honors since Kelsey Harris in 2014.
U-S-A! U-S-A!
USA Basketball announced on Tuesday, March 8, that Elon head coach Charlotte Smith has been named an assistant coach for the 2016 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team. Smith joins head coach Suzie McConnal-Serio (University of Pittsburgh) and assistant coach Kamie Ethridge (University of Northern Colorado) on the coaching staff that was selected by the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee. The team will compete at the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship from July 13-17 in Valdivia, Chile, where the top four finishing teams will earn a berth into the 2017 FIBA U19 World Championship. Smith won a gold medal at the 1996 R. William Jones Cup and silver medals at the 1995 World University Games and 1992 FIBA Americas U18 Championship (then known as the Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament). She also played for the 1997 USA Basketball Women’s International Invitational Team, the 1994 USA Select Team and at the 1993 U.S. Olympic Festival.
Rookie of the Week Honors
On March 7, the conference office announced that freshman Nikki McDonald had been named the CAA Rookie of the Week. McDonald notched a new career-high 14 points in 18 minutes played in Elon’s regular-season finale win at William & Mary on March 2. The rookie finished 8-of-7, another career high, to shoot 86 percent on the night, including a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc to match her third career high of the night. She also hauled down six rebounds in the game to help the Phoenix dominate on the boards, 42-19, and tallied one block.
Join the Phoenix Club for a Pre-Game Social
Prior to the game against Delaware, the Phoenix Club and Elon Alumni Engagement Office invites all fans to its pre-game social at the Olde Towne Inn located just three minutes from The Show Place Arena at 14745 Main Street in Upper Marlboro, Md. The social will go from 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. and includes free food and beverages. For more information or questions, contact Carrie Ritzler in the Phoenix Club at critzler@elon.edu.
Elon vs. The Tournament Field
The Phoenix holds a 36-35 all-time record against the other nine teams in the tournament field, including the 11-7 record during this year’s regular season. Elon holds a perfect 4-0 record against Delaware but has never defeated James Madison (0-5) or Drexel (0-4). The maroon and gold has faced College of Charleston the most (13-14 record in 27 games) followed by UNCW (7-5 record in 12 games).
Elon in Division I Tournaments
Elon owns an 11-15 all-time record in conference tournaments since moving to the Division I level in 1999. The Phoenix went 4-4 in the Big South Conference tournament from 1999-2003, 6-10 in the Southern Conference Tournament from 2003-2014 and is 1-1 in CAA Championship play. Last season as the No. 4 seed, the maroon and gold advanced to its tournament semifinal for the third straight year after a 60-48 win over fifth-seed UNCW before falling to top-seeded James Madison, 63-60.
March Madness
Elon holds a 27-26 all-time record in games played in March. As a player and assistant coach at UNC spanning 13 seasons, Elon head coach Charlotte Smith experienced a combined record of 60-20 (.750) in the month of March.
Championship Coach
Elon head coach Charlotte Smith knows a little something about winning championships. While playing collegiately at North Carolina, Smith hit a buzzer-beating three pointer to earn the Tar Heels the 1994 NCAA national championship. She also led UNC to back-to-back conference crowns her junior and senior seasons.
Division I Conference Tournament Records
Elon reached its highest scoring output in its first game of the 2004 Southern Conference Tournament when the Phoenix posted 84 points in a win over East Tennessee State. The maroon and gold recorded its second highest score with 70 points in its win over Samford in 2013. Ali Ford holds Elon’s record for most individual points scored in a SoCon tournament game with her 25 points in a 2011 game versus Furman. Kelsey Evans’ 14 rebounds against Appalachian State five years ago rank as the most in a single game by an Elon player since the school became a member of the SoCon in 2003-04. Prior to the Southern Conference, Elon was a member of the Big South Conference from 1999-2003.
Play 4Kay, Everyday
Besides its annual Play 4Kay game, the Elon women’s basketball team has a special connection to the Play 4Kay initiative throughout the entire year. The late Kay Yow, the hall of fame coach and catalyst for Play 4Kay, was the first head coach of the women’s basketball program, as well as the Elon volleyball program, and served in that role for four years.
Double Trouble
Elon has seen 14 double-doubles from four different players this season. Shay Burnett has posted the most with nine, including one near triple-double, followed by Malaya Johnson with three. Both Jenifer Rhodes and Autumn Carter have each tallied one double-double this year.
From the Line
Shay Burnett owns an 81.1 percent mark from the charity stripe this season, which ranks second in the league. The sophomore ranks 62nd nationally and first in the CAA in free throw attempts (159) and 38th overall and first in the CAA in free throws made (129). As a team, Elon leads the league in both free throw attempts (572) and free throws made (391).
Block Party
Elon’s 17 total team blocks on Nov. 29 against East Tennessee State marked a new Division I single-game high this season and also set a new CAA single-game record. The Phoenix saw five players set new or match career highs in blocks against the Buccaneers in Malaya Johnson (5), Autumn Carter (4), Essence Baucom (2), Lauren Brown (2) and Maddie McCallie (1). Elon is currently averaging 4.4 blocks per game as a team, which ranks 61st nationally and fourth in the league.
On the Boards
Elon currently ranks second in the conference and 27th nationally in rebounds per game (42.48/game). The Phoenix holds a positive 4.3 rebounding margin, which is second in the CAA, is second in offensive rebounds (15.5/game) and is second in the league in defensive rebounds (27.0/game).
Off the Bench
The depth of the Elon bench has been a contributor to the maroon and gold’s success this season. The Phoenix bench is outscoring the opponents, 637-422, and averaging 21.9 points per game.
Season’s Best
The Phoenix shot a season high 54 percent at William & Mary on March 2. Elon finished 27-of-50 from the field, including 8-of-15 from three (53.3 percent), and scored 34 points in the paint.
Elon in Overtime
After its overtime game at Delaware on Feb. 7, Elon is now 17-11 all-time in overtime games and 1-3 when the overtime goes past one period. The Phoenix has played three overtime games this season, two of which have gone to double overtime. The maroon and gold fell in double overtime at Navy on Nov. 24 and to James Madison in single overtime on Jan. 10 before winning its first OT game of the season against the Blue Hens. The team’s double overtime game at Navy on Nov. 24 marked the first time Elon played more than one overtime period since a four overtime game against Western Carolina in 2008.
Elon is Perfect When…
The Phoenix has a perfect record on the season in games played on Saturday (3-0).
Head Coach Charlotte Smith
Elon head coach Charlotte Smith is in her fifth season with the Phoenix and owns an 87-68 career record. Smith has led Elon to three straight conference tournament semifinal appearances, as well as an at-large bid to the 2015 WNIT, the first in program history, after a 19-13 overall record and 11-7 league mark in its first season in the Colonial Athletic Association.
Home-Court Advantage
Alumni Gym has proven to be a tough place to play for opponents under head coach Charlotte Smith. The maroon and gold is 53-18 in Alumni Gym in five seasons under Coach Smith. The Phoenix went 10-3 at home this season after a 10-5 record during the 2014-15 season. The Phoenix has lost no more than five games at home in a season under Smith.
Next Up
If Elon advances, the Phoenix will play the winner of the game between No. 1 James Madison and No. 8 College of Charleston/No. 9 UNCW in the semifinals on Friday, March 11, at 1:30 p.m.