ELON, N.C. – The Elon University women’s basketball team returns to the hardwood this weekend for the East Carolina Thanksgiving Tournament, Nov. 26-27, in Greenville, N.C. The Phoenix takes on Robert Morris on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. before facing host ECU on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 26
Site: Greenville, N.C.
Arena: Minges Coliseum
Series: First meeting
Radio: None (Online audio available) - Brian Dudiak will call the action
Television: None
Twitter Updates: @ElonScores
Text Alerts: Sign up here

Live Stats
Live Audio
Elon Game Notes

Sunday, November 27
Site: Greenville, N.C.
Arena: Minges Coliseum
Series: East Carolina leads, 6-2
Last Meeting: Dec. 5, 1998 - East Carolina won, 56-37
Radio: None (Online audio available) - Brian Dudiak will call the action
Television: None
Twitter Updates: @ElonScores
Text Alerts: Sign up here

Live Stats
Live Audio

ELON VS. ROBERT MORRIS: Saturday’s game marks the first meeting between the Phoenix and Colonials. Elon and RMU could have one common opponent this season, should the Phoenix end up facing Wagner in the Marriott Cavalier Classic on Dec. 29 in Charlottesville, Va.
 
ELON VS. EAST CAROLINA: The Phoenix and Lady Pirates have met eight times prior to this weekend’s game. ECU leads the all-time series, 6-2. The two teams last met on Dec. 5, 1998 in the Davidson Roundball Invitational when ECU came away with a 56-37 win. Elon’s last win over ECU was a 71-64 victory over Feb. 6, 1975 in Greenville.
 
THE SMITH FILE: Elon head coach Charlotte Smith enters this weekend’s tournament with a 2-1 career record as a head coach. Elon’s 70-46 win over Virginia Union on Nov. 12 was Smith’s first career win. Smith was an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina for nine seasons before coming to Elon. The most decorated player in UNC history, Smith was a four-year letterwinner for the Tar Heels from 1992-95 and is one of only two UNC women’s basketball players to have had her jersey retired. The six-foot forward who wore No. 23 was named National Player of the Year by ESPN in 1995 following a career in which she scored 2,094 points (fifth all-time at UNC) and grabbed 1,200 rebounds (second all-time at UNC). Smith is perhaps best known for her performance in the 1994 NCAA Championship game, when her buzzer-beating three-pointer gave UNC the national crown with a 60-59 win over Louisiana Tech. She also had a championship-record 23 rebounds in the game and was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: Following this weekend’s tournament, Elon opens up Southern Conference action on Dec. 3 when the Phoenix welcomes preseason league favorite Chattanooga to Alumni Gym for a 7 p.m. tip. The game will be a doubleheader, as the Elon men’s basketball team takes on Navy at 2 p.m. earlier in the day. Two days later, the Phoenix hosts defending league champion Samford on Dec. 5.
 
MOVING ON UP: With 28 points in Elon’s game at Charlotte on Nov. 19, junior Ali Ford has accumulated 1,127 career points, placing her 13th on Elon's all-time scoring list. Ford needs five points to pass Loretta Lawson (1997-2001) for 12th all-time and she is 46 points shy of cracking the top-10 in scoring.
 
FIRST YEAR SUCCESS: Rookie Zora Stephenson had a stellar game last week against Virginia Intermont last week, scoring a game-high 28 points after knocking down eight three-pointers. Stephenson's eight threes are tied for the third most in a single game in program history. In two games versus Virginia Intermont and Charlotte, Stephenson went 11-of-16 from beyond the arc, averaging 19.5 points per game.
 
OVER THE CENTURY MARK: Elon registered 105 points against Virginia Intermont on Nov. 18, the most in a single game since the team claimed a 111-50 win over Averett on Dec. 1, 1999. The last time Elon scored 100 points in a game was in last year’s Women’s Basketball Invitational when the Phoenix topped USC Upstate, 103-72. Elon has scored 100 or more points in a game 17 times since the 1971-72 season.