ELON, N.C. — Fresh off its first win of the season on Sunday against High Point, the Elon women's basketball team (1-2) returns to the court Saturday when it hosts Triad rival UNCG at Schar Center. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
 
COVERAGE

• Saturday'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. UNCG 

• Elon trails the all-time series with UNCG 25-22 but is 7-1 under Charlotte Smith.
• The Phoenix's 47 games against the Spartans are its third most against any opponent; it has faced High Point and Catawba College 78 and 49 times, respectively.
• This marks the first meeting between Elon and UNCG since Dec. 15, 2021, when the Phoenix overcame a 19-point second-half deficit to pull off a thrilling 52-49 win in Greensboro, N.C. Brie Perpignan paced the Phoenix with 14 points, the last three of which came on her game-winning and-1 with one second left.
• Elon is 14-9 in home games against the Spartans. The last came on Dec. 18, 2020, when Evonna McGill and Perpignan each scored 11 points to help the Phoenix to a 58-40 victory.

LAST TIME OUT

• Elon opened its 2022-23 home slate in dramatic fashion Sunday, as Ajia James made two 3-pointers in the final 1:22 – including the game-winner with five seconds left – to help the Phoenix secure a 60-57 win over High Point.
• James' game-winning basket marked Elon's first in the final five seconds of a game since Brie Perpignan's and-1 against UNCG on Dec. 15, 2021.
• James scored all 12 of her points in the second half while making a career-high four 3-pointers on six attempts.
• After scoring six total points in her first two games with the Phoenix, Rider graduate transfer Lenaejha Evans erupted for a game-high 19 on 7-of-13 shooting.
• Raven Preston hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds, the most by an Elon freshman since Ra'Shika White tallied 12 against ETSU on Dec. 17, 2016. The effort brought Preston's season rebounding total to 22, marking the most by a Phoenix player through three career games since Jenifer Rhodes had 27 to begin the 2013-14 season.
• Elon improved to 14-1 in its last 15 home openers and 11-1 in home openers under Charlotte Smith.

 
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 three 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 UNCG 

• UNCG is 2-1 and coming off a 72-54 win over Radford on Wednesday. The Spartans' other win came against Guilford College, and their lone loss came on the road at Gardner-Webb.
• UNCG went 9-19 overall and 5-9 in SoCon play last season, finishing fifth in the league.
• The Spartans were picked to finish sixth in the SoCon preseason media poll and seventh in the coaches poll.
• UNCG entered Friday ranked in the top 50 nationally in turnover margin (+8, 40th), blocks per game (5.3, 43rd) and turnovers per game (12.7, 44th).
• A year removed from making the SoCon All-Rookie team, Isys Grady earned a spot on the preseason All-SoCon team, but the guard/forward has yet to play this season.
• Nasia Powell paces the Spartans in scoring at 16 points per game. Khalis Cain is just shy of averaging a double-double with 9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
• UNCG associate head coach Cetera DeGraffenreid starred at UNC from 2007-11, posting the third-most assists (589) and third-most steals (371) in program history. Charlotte Smith served as an assistant coach for the Tar Heels all four years of DeGraffenreid's career.

UP NEXT

• Elon will wrap up its three-game homestand Tuesday when it hosts Old Dominion. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m.