ELON, N.C. – For the first time in two months, the Elon women's basketball team (4-11, 0-4 CAA) will host consecutive home games as it welcomes Delaware and Northeastern to Schar Center on Friday and Sunday. Friday's game is slated for 7 p.m. and Sunday's for 1 p.m.
 
On Saturday and Sunday, the program will be hosting its alumni weekend. Several former players are expected to be in attendance and will be honored during Sunday's contest.
 
COVERAGE
 

• Both games will air on FloSports.
• Fans can also listen to both contests on WSOE 89.3 FM.
• Live stats for Friday's game can be found here.
• Live stats for Sunday's game 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. DELAWARE, NORTHEASTERN
 

• Elon trails the all-time series with Delaware 9-8.
• Friday's game will be the first between the two programs since Feb. 25, 2022, when Evonna McGill scored a career-high 21 points in a 65-61 loss in Newark, Del.
• The Phoenix's last win in the series came on Jan. 31, 2021, when Brie Perpignan led four Elon double-digit scorers with 20 points in an 83-61 home victory.
• The Phoenix leads the all-time series with Northeastern 8-6.
• Sunday's game will be the first between the two programs since Feb. 20, 2022, when Perpignan, McGill and Kayla Liles each scored 18 points in a 78-65 win on Senior Day. The victory snapped a five-game losing streak against the Huskies.

 
LAST TIME OUT
 

• Elon suffered a pair of close losses last weekend, falling 46-42 at Hofstra on Friday and 64-56 at Monmouth on Sunday.
• Raven Preston led all players with 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting against the Pride. She also contributed eight rebounds and a career-high six steals as the Phoenix surrendered a season-low 46 points.
• Elon also committed a season-low 12 turnovers and hauled in a season-high 21 offensive rebounds against Hofstra, resulting in a 70-42 edge in shots. The Phoenix, however, shot 24.3% (17-for-70) from the field, finishing with its fewest points since scoring 38 on Nov. 26, 2021, at then-No. 1 South Carolina.
• Behind Evonna McGill – who scored 14 of her season-high 16 points in the first half – Elon turned in its best offensive first half in over a month against Monmouth, shooting 53.6% (15-for-28) from the field and scoring 31 points. Brianna Tinsley, however, scored 17 of her game-high 20 points in the second half to help the Hawks to the comeback victory.
• Preston (15 points) and Lenaejha Evans (13) joined McGill in double figures as the Phoenix scored its most points since finishing with 72 on Dec. 18, 2022, at Davidson.
• Elon scored 38 points in the paint against Monmouth, its most since scoring 60 at NC Central.

 
THAT'S SO RAVEN
 

• After recording a pair of near double-doubles at Hofstra and Monmouth last weekend, Raven Preston was named the CAA Rookie of the Week on Monday.
• Having also received the award on Nov. 28 and Dec. 19, Preston leads the CAA with three Rookie of the Week honors this season. She's the first Phoenix freshman to earn the award three times since Shay Burnett received it four times in Elon's first season in the conference in 2014-15.
• Preston posted a game-high 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting, eight rebounds and six steals against Hofstra. The 19 points marked her most since scoring a season-high 31 on Dec. 18, 2022, at Davidson and are tied for the most by a CAA freshman during league play. The six steals were the most by a Phoenix freshman since Lei Lei Hairston had six against St. Andrews on Nov. 20, 2009.
• Preston then followed up that effort with 15 points and nine rebounds Sunday at Monmouth.
• Preston's 31 points against Davidson marked the most by a Phoenix freshman since at least 2004-05.
• Having also scored 22 points against Old Dominion and 26 at NC Central, she's the only freshman to post three 20-point games in the Charlotte Smith era (since 2011-12).
• Preston's three 20-point games account for three of the top four scoring performances by a freshman in Smith's 12-season tenure.
• With 12 points and 13 rebounds against North Carolina A&T on Dec. 30, 2022, Preston notched her third double-double, tying her with Burnett for the most by an Elon freshman under Smith – no other freshman has registered more than one.
• Preston joined Kayla Liles as the only Phoenix players to record a double-double in a CAA opener, and her 12 points were the second most by an Elon freshman in their CAA debut.
• Preston's 15 rebounds against Old Dominion tied for the third most by a Phoenix player and were the most by a freshman under Smith. They were also the most by a CAA freshman since UNCW's Taylor Webster had 19 against Norfolk State on Nov. 25, 2020.
• With her 22 points and 15 boards against the Monarchs, Preston became the fifth player and the second freshman to post a 20-point, 10-rebound game under Smith. The 20-point, 10-rebound game was the first by a CAA freshman since Towson's Allie Kubek had 20 points and 14 rebounds against Drexel on Feb. 21, 2021.
• On the year, Preston ranks 14th in the CAA in scoring (13.2 points per game) and fifth in rebounding (7.7 boards per game). Both marks are the best among league freshmen. She also ranks fourth in the CAA and 133rd nationally in field goal percentage (45.8%).
• Preston has scored in double figures in three of her first four CAA games.

 
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 joined 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 15 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 welcomed local elementary school students to campus for a fun-filled Education Day on Dec. 15, 2022.
• The game against Richmond marked the first time that Elon held an Education Day since Jan. 27, 2011.
• The program welcomed more than 2,400 elementary school students from 10 Alamance-Burlington School System schools as well as Burlington Christian Academy and The Burlington School. Overall, 3,087 fans attended the game, marking the largest crowd in Elon's Division I era.
• Although the game between the Phoenix and Spiders was at the center of the festivities, the day also served 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 addressed that.
• Phoenix players also spent much of December visiting ABSS schools and talking about their experiences as collegiate student-athletes.

 
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 DELAWARE
 

• Delaware (8-6, 1-2 CAA) opened league play with a 77-65 win against Hofstra on Dec. 30, 2022, but is coming off an 80-60 loss to Monmouth on Jan. 1 and a 73-57 loss at Drexel last Friday.
• The Blue Hens went 24-8 overall and 15-3 in CAA play last season, finishing second in the conference in the regular season and winning their third CAA Tournament title. As a No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament, they lost 102-71 to fourth-seeded Maryland in the first round.
• Entering its first season under head coach Sarah Jenkins, Delaware was picked to finish sixth in the CAA Preseason Poll.
• The Blue Hens are led by Minnesota transfer Klarke Sconiers, who ranks 18th in the CAA in scoring at 12.1 points per game. Makayla Pippin (10.4) and Jewel Smalls (10.2) are also averaging double-digit points, while Pippin leads the CAA in rebounding at 9.2 boards per game.

 
SCOUTING NORTHEASTERN
 

• Northeastern (7-7, 2-1 CAA) dropped its CAA opener against Monmouth on Dec. 30, 2022, but has since won back-to-back games against William & Mary and UNCW.
• The Huskies went 14-18 overall and 8-10 in CAA play last season, finishing seventh in the league.
• Northeastern was picked to finish eighth in the CAA Preseason Poll.
• The Huskies are led by Derin Erdogan (13.6 points per game) and Gemima Motema (12.7), who rank 12th and 16th, respectively, in the CAA in scoring.

 
UP NEXT
 

• Elon will travel to UNCW for a 7 p.m. tilt on Jan. 20 before hosting Stony Brook at 2 p.m. on Jan. 22. The game against the Seawolves will also serve as Princess Day – all children dressed as their favorite princess or prince will receive free admission.