ELON, N.C. – The Elon women's basketball team (4-13, 0-6 CAA) returns to action this weekend as it visits UNCW at 7 p.m. Friday before hosting Stony Brook at 1 p.m. Sunday at Schar Center. The game against the Seawolves will also serve as Princess Day – all children dressed as their favorite princess or prince will receive free admission.
 
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.

 
ELON BASKETBALL LIVE RETURNS
 

• With the start of the new calendar year coinciding with the beginning of Colonial Athletic Association play, Elon Basketball Live presented by MaGerks returned on Jan. 9. The show will take place at MaGerks Pub & Grill in Elon.
• Elon Basketball Live is the exclusive chance for fans to hear directly from head women's basketball coach Charlotte Smith and head men's basketball coach Billy Taylor all winter long. The longtime voice of the Phoenix, Taylor Durham, will chat with both Smith and Taylor, along with player guests, about recent and upcoming games.
• Fans are invited to attend the broadcast live and can also listen via The Varsity Network app on their phone or smart device. The show will also be available the next morning via The Voices of Elon Athletics Podcast on Spotify.

 
SERIES HISTORY VS. UNCW, STONY BROOK
 

• Elon leads the all-time series with UNCW 15-7. The Phoenix has won the last four meetings and 11 of the last 13.
• Elon is 13-4 against the Seahawks under Charlotte Smith.
• Friday's game will be the first between the two teams since Feb. 23, 2022, when Brie Perpignan and Evonna McGill scored 14 and 13 points, respectively in a 64-43 Elon win at Schar Center.
• The Phoenix also defeated UNCW, 69-59, in Wilmington, N.C., last year. Vanessa Taylor led five Elon double-digit scorers with 13 points. McGill also totaled 10 points and four rebounds in 13 minutes.
• The Phoenix and Stony Brook have never met on the hardwood. The Seawolves joined the CAA last summer.

 
LAST TIME OUT
 

• Elon suffered a pair of home losses last weekend, falling 71-65 to Delaware on Friday and 69-51 to Northeastern on Sunday.
• The Phoenix shot 58.8% (10-for-17) from the field and outrebounded the Blue Hens 14-2 in the first quarter en route to a 38-32 halftime lead, but Delaware won the second half, 39-27.
• Ajia James registered season highs in points (16), rebounds (eight) and assists (four) against the Blue Hens. Lenaejha Evans followed her in the scoring column with 15 points, and Raven Preston posted 12 points and eight rebounds.
• Elon's 65 points against Delaware were its most since scoring 72 on Dec. 18, 2022, at Davidson.
• The Phoenix also attempted a season-high 28 free throws against the Blue Hens but only made 14.
• Elon jumped out to a 6-5 lead Sunday, but Northeastern took control of the game from there, finishing the first half with 45 points – the second most allowed by the Phoenix in any half this season. Although Elon held the Huskies to just six third-quarter points, it didn't muster enough offense to close the gap.
• With 13 points and a game-high 14 rebounds against Northeastern, Preston posted her fourth double-double, setting a new freshman record under Charlotte Smith. Shay Burnett (2014-18) – who held the previous record of three – was in attendance as the Phoenix celebrated its alumni weekend.
• Elon went 10-for-10 at the free-throw line against the Huskies, marking the first time in Smith's 12-season tenure that the Phoenix went 10-for-10 or better at the charity stripe.
• After not starting in any of her first 46 collegiate games, Bria Harmon started both games at point guard.

 
THAT'S SO RAVEN
 

• With 13 points and a game-high 14 rebounds against Northeastern on Sunday, Raven Preston posted her fourth double-double, setting a new freshman record under Charlotte Smith. Shay Burnett (2014-18) – who held the previous record of three – was in attendance as the Phoenix celebrated its alumni weekend.
• Preston's four double-doubles are the most by a CAA rookie since Delaware's Jasmine Dickey had five in 2018-19.
• Preston's 14 rebounds against Northeastern also marked the most by a freshman in CAA play since Towson's Allie Kubek had 14 against Drexel on Feb. 21, 2021.
• Preston's performance last weekend came after she recorded a pair of near double-doubles at Hofstra and Monmouth on Jan. 6 and 8, resulting in her being named the CAA Rookie of the Week on Jan. 9.
• 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 Burnett received it four times in Elon's first season in the conference in 2014-15.
• Preston's 19 points against Hofstra on Jan. 6 are tied for the most by a CAA freshman during league play. She also tallied six steals against the Pride, the most by a Phoenix freshman since Lei Lei Hairston had six against St. Andrews on Nov. 20, 2009.
• Preston's 31 points against Davidson on Dec. 18, 2022, 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 under Smith.
• 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 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 on Nov. 22, 2022, 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 Kubek had 20 points and 14 rebounds against Drexel on Feb. 21, 2021.
• On the year, Preston ranks 13th in the CAA in scoring (13.1 points per game) and fourth in rebounding (8.1 boards per game). Both marks are the best among league freshmen. She also ranks fifth in the CAA and 157th nationally in field goal percentage (43.4%).
• During CAA play, Preston ranks 14th in the league in scoring (12.7 points per game) and first in rebounding (9.7 boards per game).
• Preston has scored in double figures in five of her first six CAA games, including four in a row.

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 15 of the Phoenix's 17 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 UNCW
 

• UNCW (3-13, 0-5 CAA) fell 38-34 at Hampton last Sunday, extending its losing streak to six games.
• The Seahawks went 3-26 overall and 0-18 in CAA play last season, finishing last in the league.
• UNCW was picked to finish 12th in the CAA Preseason Poll.
• The Seahawks are led by Carrie Gross, who ranks 12th in the CAA in scoring at 13.3 points per game.
• Other standouts for UNCW include Lexi Jackson – who ranks sixth in the league in rebounding (7.5 boards per game) and second in blocks (1.9 per game) – and Micah Hoggatt – who is 15th in the conference in rebounding (6.1 boards per game).

 
SCOUTING STONY BROOK
 

• Stony Brook (10-6, 4-1 CAA) is coming off a 69-59 win over Monmouth. The Seawolves – who visit North Carolina A&T on Friday – have won six of their last seven games, with their lone loss coming at Drexel.
• Stony Brook went 23-6 overall and 14-4 in America East play last season, finishing second in the league.
• The Seawolves were picked to finish third in the CAA Preseason Poll.
• Stony Brook is led by preseason All-CAA second-team selection Anastasia Warren, who ranks third in the league in scoring (16.8 points per game), fourth in field goal percentage (43.4%) and second in 3-point field goal percentage (40.8%).
• Other standouts for the Seawolves include Sherese Pittman – who ranks 14th in the league in scoring (12.9 points per game) and fifth in rebounding (7.7 boards per game) – and Gigi Gonzalez – who is 18th in the conference in scoring (12.1 points per game) and fifth in assists (3.9 per game).

 
UP NEXT
 

• Elon will hit the road to face Delaware at 7 p.m. on Jan 27 and Drexel at 2 p.m. on Jan. 29.