ELON, N.C. — Coming off its season-opening two-game ACC road swing, Elon welcomes Triad rival High Point to Schar Center on Sunday for its home opener. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
 
As part of its CAA fall initiative, Elon's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is partnering with United Way to hold a canned food drive Sunday for those in need in Alamance County. Donations will be collected by SAAC reps at Gate A (by the ticket windows) at Schar Center.
 
COVERAGE

• Sunday's game will air on FloSports.
• Fans can also listen to the contest on WSOE 89.3 FM.
• Live stats can be found here.
• Other in-game updates will be provided via the program's Twitter account, @ElonWBasketball.

 
TICKETS ON SALE

• The best way to see the women's basketball team this season is by purchasing season tickets for just $40.
• Single-game tickets are also available, beginning at $10.
• For the first time ever, fans can purchase a book of 10 ticket vouchers for $75. These vouchers are redeemable for a ticket to any Elon men's or women's basketball regular-season home game. Use all 10 for any one game or use one voucher for 10 different games.
• Fans who purchase voucher books will also receive an Elon mini autographed basketball from head coaches Charlotte Smith and Billy Taylor. These tickets represent a 50% savings for men's basketball tickets and a 25% savings for women's basketball versus single-game prices.
• Ticket vouchers must be redeemed for a reserved seat ticket prior to entry. This can be done at the Schar Center Box Office during regular business hours (M-F, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.) or starting 90 minutes prior to tipoff.
• For more information, visit ElonTickets.com or call the Elon Ticket Office at 336-278-6750.

 
SERIES HISTORY VS. HIGH POINT

• Elon trails the all-time series with High Point 39-38.
• The Phoenix's 77 games against the Panthers are 28 more than it has played against any other opponent; it has faced Catawba College 49 times. Elon's 38 wins over High Point are also its most against any team, eight more than its 30 victories over Catawba.
• This marks the first meeting between the Phoenix and Panthers since last year's season opener, which Elon won 68-66 in the first game at High Point's Qubein Center. Down two points with less than two minutes left, Evonna McGill scored the last four points of the game to seal the victory. Brie Perpignan paced the Phoenix with 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
• Elon is 17-11 in home games against High Point. The last – an 80-69 Phoenix victory – came on Dec. 19, 2015. Essence Baucom, who's in her second season as an assistant coach at Elon, led the Phoenix with 17 points and six assists.

 
LAST TIME OUT

• Playing its second ACC opponent in as many games, Elon shot a blistering 56.5% from the field in the second half, but it wasn't enough as the Phoenix fell 89-55 on Thursday at No. 10 NC State.
• Evonna McGill led Elon with 12 points on 6-for-8 shooting and posted six rebounds. It marked the fourth straight game, dating back to last season, and the 16th time in her Phoenix career that she led the team in scoring.
• Making her second start in as many career games, Kamryn Doty scored 11 points on 5-for-5 shooting and dished out three assists. All 11 of her points came in the third quarter, marking the most by a Phoenix player in a period since Brie Perpignan scored 13 first-quarter points against James Madison on Feb. 4.
• With Doty, Raven Preston and Chloe Williams starting, it marked the first time three freshmen started for Elon since Dec. 9, 2018, at Winthrop (Perpignan, Kayla Liles and Micaela Ryan).
• The Phoenix shot 56.5% (13-for-23) from the field in the second half, its best shooting percentage in any half since shooting 58.6% (17-for-29) in the second half against William & Mary on March 3. Elon's third-quarter shooting percentage of 69.2% (9-for-13) was its best since shooting 81.8% (9-for-11) in the third quarter against Northeastern on Feb. 20.

 
PRESEASON ACCOLADES

• The Phoenix was picked to finish fourth in the CAA Preseason Poll, marking the sixth time in its nine CAA seasons that Elon has ranked fourth or better in the league's preseason balloting.
• Evonna McGill was named to the preseason All-CAA second team, becoming the first Phoenix post player to earn preseason All-CAA honors since Malaya Johnson made the second team in 2017-18.
• McGill, a center from Lowell, N.C., averaged 11.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks last season. All three of those figures rank in the top six among CAA returners.
• Her 58.9 field-goal percentage was the third best in program history and is also the seventh highest among returning Division I players who made at least five shots per game and played in 75% of their team's games last season.

FRESH FACES

• Elon boasts seven newcomers, including six freshmen in Hannah Dereje, Raven Preston, Aly Wadkovsky, Regina Walton, Ruby Willard and Chloe Williams.
• The six-player freshman class matches the Phoenix's largest under Charlotte Smith; Elon's 2017 recruiting class also consisted of six players.
• Graduate transfer Lenaejha Evans also joins the Phoenix after two seasons at Rider. The guard – who averaged 14.0 points en route to third-team All-MAAC honors in 2021-22 – began her career at Kansas City Kansas Community College in 2018-19, then transferred to Pensacola State College for one season before enrolling at Rider.
• Although they aren't new to Elon, redshirt freshmen guards Kamryn Doty and Diamond Monroe are also new to the mix after missing the entire 2021-22 season due to injury. Doty has started each of the Phoenix's first two games at point guard.

BIG SHOES TO FILL

• Elon entered the 2022-23 season looking to fill the void left by Brie Perpignan, who finished her Phoenix career as one of only five players to record 1,100 points and 350 assists, along with Shay Burnett (2014-18), Ali Ford (2009-13), Lisa Briggs (1983-87) and Donna Trollinger (1981-85).
• Perpignan's 359 career assists are the eighth most in Elon history, and her 1,194 points are tied for the 14th most. She also ranks second in career free-throw percentage (min. 250 made) at 80 (335-for-419).
• The point guard was sensational in 2021-22, ranking second in the CAA in assists per game (5.5), third in free-throw percentage (81.1) fifth in points per game (16.6) and fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.5).
• For her efforts, she was named to the All-CAA second team, becoming just the fourth Phoenix player to make the first or second team and the first since 2017-18.
• Perpignan accounted for 26.6% of Elon's scoring, 36.6% of its free-throw attempts, 39.9% of its free throws and 43.6% of its assists last season.

 
2021-22 REWIND

• The Phoenix went 17-12 last season to post its seventh winning season under Charlotte Smith and its first since 2017-18.
• Elon went 9-9 in CAA play to finish tied for fifth in the league. That marked the Phoenix's best finish since placing third in 2017-18.
• Ten of Elon's victories came at Schar Center, its most since moving into the state-of-the-art facility before the 2018-19 season.
• The 2021-22 Phoenix ranked in the top 10 in school history in free-throw percentage (74.2, first), 3-point attempts (563, second), 3-pointers (171, fourth), field-goal percentage (39.9, ninth) and assists per game (12.6, 10th).
• Brie Perpignan led Elon in scoring (16.6 points per game) and assists (5.5 per game), while Kayla Liles paced the team in rebounding (6.2 per game).

 
BONDING ABROAD

• As part of Elon's commitment to diversity and global engagement, the women's basketball team spent eight days in Italy in August.
• In addition to experiencing authentic Italian cuisine and seeing historical sites such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Colosseum, the Phoenix scrimmaged a pair of local teams.
• For a team that features seven newcomers, the trip proved incredibly valuable. Said head coach Charlotte Smith: "It came at the perfect time. Because we have so many new faces, it allowed us an opportunity to implement some things in our system and to practice and to play some games internationally before they even played a game in the United States."

 
EDUCATION DAY RETURNS

• For the first time in more than a decade, the Phoenix will welcome local elementary school students to campus this season for a fun-filled Education Day matinee.
• Elon Athletics has partnered with the Alamance-Burlington School System to bring back the annual Education Day to Elon's campus when the Phoenix faces Richmond on Thursday, Dec. 15.
• The game, set for 11 a.m., will mark the first time that Elon has held an Education Day since Jan. 27, 2011. It will also be the first Education Day at the state-of-the-art Schar Center, which is expected to welcome approximately 2,500 elementary school students for the event.
• While the game between the Phoenix and Spiders will be at the center of the festivities, the day will also serve as an opportunity for students to be introduced to the University and learn more about the importance of education and going to college. Different components of the in-game entertainment will address that, but students will also be treated to other fun activities, such as a spirit contest.

 
MAKING MOVES

• Ahead of their 12th season together at Elon, Charlotte Smith announced the promotion of Josh Wick to associate head coach in September.
• Since arriving with Smith as a member of her coaching staff in 2011, Wick has been integral to the women's basketball program's turnaround. In his 11 seasons at Elon, the Phoenix has posted a winning record seven times, including back-to-back 25-win campaigns in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
• In 2016-17, Wick helped the Phoenix to a record-breaking season that saw it win the CAA regular-season and Tournament titles while reaching the first NCAA Tournament in program history. The Phoenix reached the NCAA Tournament the following season, as well, after winning its second straight CAA Championship.

 
SCOUTING HIGH POINT

• High Point is 1-1 with a 77-64 loss to Davison in its season opener and a 71-44 win over Concord on Wednesday. Sunday's game is its first on the road.
• The Panthers went 17-14 overall and 13-5 in Big South play last season, finishing tied for fourth in the conference.
• High Point and Gardner-Webb were selected as co-favorites in the Big South Preseason Poll.
• Guards Skyler Curran, Jenson Edwards and Jordan Edwards all earned Big South preseason honors, with Curran and Jenson Edwards receiving first-team recognition and Jordan Edwards making the second team.
• Curran is averaging a team-best 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. She's followed by Nakyah Terrell and Jenson Edwards at 12 and 10.5 points per game, respectively.

 
UP NEXT

• Elon will continue its three-game homestand next Saturday, Nov. 19, when it welcomes UNCG to Schar Center. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.