Elon WBB Phoenix Hosting Play4Kay Game Thursday Against Hofstra

ELON, N.C. – Elon University women’s basketball will hold its annual Play4Kay Game on Thursday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. inside Alumni Gym. Set to honor the late Kay Yow, the first head coach in Elon women’s basketball history, and raise money for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, the game can be watched and heard live on Phoenix All-Access.

GAME NOTES

PLAYING FOR KAY YOW
Help our program support the Kay Yow Cancer Fund by donating as we all chip in to find a cure for cancer. T-shirts will also be available for purchase at the game with proceeds going to the fund. Be sure to wear your pink to Alumni Gym!

DADDY/DAUGHTER DATE NIGHT
Join the Phoenix on Thursday night for Daddy/Daughter Date Night when Elon takes on Hofstra! For just $20, you’ll get two tickets, two hot dogs, two bags of chips and two drinks as you watch Elon battle the Pride. To purchase Daddy/Daughter Date Night tickets, click here.

THE SERIES
The Phoenix broke a 2-2 series tie last month on Jan. 29 with a 64-53 win at Hofstra to take a 3-2 lead. Since losing the opening meeting of the series back on Feb. 15, 2015, Elon has won three of the last four matchups, but two of those wins came by final margins of six points and one point.

ABOUT HOFSTRA
Since losing eight of its first nine CAA games, Hofstra is 2-2 in its last four with wins over William & Mary and College of Charleston by a combined seven points. Ashunae Durant leads the Pride with 16.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Krystal Luciano also averages double figures with 11 points per game and leads Hofstra with 144 assists this season.

LOOKING BACK
Elon had its six-game winning streak snapped with a 61-54 loss at James Madison on Sunday, Feb. 12. The loss dropped Elon into a tie atop the CAA standings with James Madison at 11-2. Shay Burnett led Elon with 12 points to go with seven rebounds while Malaya Johnson had 11 points and Jenifer Rhodes 10. Rhodes hit a layup midway through the second quarter to reach the 1,000-career point mark, becoming the third player this season to reach the milestone.

MILLENNIUM SCORERS
For the first time in program history, three players have surpassed the 1,000-career point milestone this season. On Jan. 22, Lauren Brown reached her 1,000th point at William & Mary and Shay Burnett achieved the milestone on Feb. 7 at UNCW. Jenifer Rhodes became the third player to reach 1,000 points on Feb. 12 at James Madison. Before this season, two players reaching 1,000 points in the same season had been done twice Venessa Corbet and Lou Williamson in 1979-80 and Elizabeth Ward and Laura Case in 1992-93.

POLL WATCHING
Elon checked in at No. 30 in the NCAA RPI Wednesday, the second mid-major on the list behind Harvard (No. 26). It also ranks No. 8 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll. Elon is No. 8 in the espnW Mid-Major poll for the second week in a row.

HISTORY MADE
Charlotte Smith earned her 100th career win on Jan. 15 against Drexel and now owns a record of 106-76. She has led Elon to back-to-back WNIT appearances and three postseason appearances in five seasons. Her teams have won at least 18 games in now four of the last five seasons. With the win Jan. 29 at Hofstra, she is now Elon’s third-winningest coach in program history. She passed Jackie Myers on the list, who led the Phoenix from 1985-94 and won 102 games a the program’s leader.

MAKING IT LOOK EASY
At the halfway point of the CAA season, Elon’s .889 winning percentage was the best mark for the Phoenix in the program’s 18-year run as a Division I program. The previous best mark came when Elon started the 2001-02 Big South season with a .857 winning percentage, a record of 6-1.

REWRITING THE BOOKS
Through 25 games this season, Elon’s 19-6 record marks the best start in the program’s D-I history. Before the second half of the CAA season, the 16 wins marked just the second time Elon has posted 15 or more victories in the first 21 games of a season to date. The previous best mark was during 2010-11 when the Phoenix started 15-6. That season, Elon finished with 20 wins and went to the second round of the WBI. Elon has won 20 games in a season just once as a Division I program.

THE STREAK
Elon’s nine-game winning streak from Dec. 17 against ETSU to Jan. 15 against Drexel was the most the team has won in a row as a Division I program. The last time Elon had won that many in a row came during a 12-game winning streak in 1981-82 under coach Mary Jackson. Elon’s only losses in the last 17 games have come against James Madison on Jan. 20 and Feb. 12.

ON THE ROAD

Elon has been stellar away from Alumni Gym this season. To date, the Phoenix is 11-4 away from home. Prior to the loss at JMU, Elon had won each of its previous nine road games. The nine-game road winning streak marked the longest streak for the program as a Division I team. The previous long was five games from Jan. 8 to Jan. 29 in 2010-11, the final season of the Karen Barefoot era. (The record includes neutral-site games)

LOOKING AHEAD
The Phoenix will host Senior Day on Sunday, Feb. 19, and will honor Essence Baucom, Lauren Brown, Jenifer Rhodes, Lenaira Ruffin and Maddie McCallie for their careers in maroon and gold. Tip against the Tribe is set for 2 p.m. Elon went on the road Jan. 22 and defeated William & Mary 60-58 after Brown hit two free throws after being fouled with 1.4 seconds to play.