ELON, N.C. – With just over one month left in the regular season, the Elon women's basketball team opens February with a home-road split this weekend against North Carolina A&T and the College of Charleston. The Phoenix will host the Aggies at 7 p.m. Friday at Schar Center for its Black History Month Recognition Game before visiting the Cougars at 2 p.m. Sunday.
 
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 in February is by purchasing the new CAA Women's Play Pack. For just $15, fans can secure a ticket to the Phoenix's home games against North Carolina A&T (Feb. 3), William & Mary (Feb. 10) and Monmouth (Feb. 17).
• 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.
• Shows are tentatively scheduled for 6 p.m. on Feb. 6, 15, 20 and 27.

 
BLACK HISTORY MONTH TRIBUTE
 

• The women's basketball program and the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education (CREDE) are teaming up to host a tribute to Black History Month on Friday, when the Phoenix hosts North Carolina A&T.
• As part of the celebration, representatives from the Black Student Union, African Diaspora Living Learning Community, NAACP and Melanated Melodies – which will perform "Lift Every Voice and Sing" and the national anthem – are expected to be on hand.
• Different components of the in-game entertainment will also focus on educating fans on Elon's other Black student organizations and programs.
• The celebration is one in a series of events that will be hosted by CREDE throughout February, all under the theme of "The Black Renaissance: Revive, Reclaim, Rejoice." To learn more about the theme and CREDE's other events, click here.

 
SERIES HISTORY VS. NC A&T, CHARLESTON
 

• Elon leads the all-time series with North Carolina A&T 13-9.
• Friday's game will be the second between the two teams this season, as the Aggies beat the Phoenix 67-50 in both teams' CAA opener on Dec. 30, 2022, in Greensboro, N.C.
• It will be the first meeting between the two teams at Schar Center since Nov. 22, 2021, when Elon won 76-66. Ariana Nance led four Phoenix double-digit scorers with 19 points as Charlotte Smith became Elon's all-time wins leader with her 173rd victory.
• The Phoenix leads the all-time series with the College of Charleston 24-15.
• Sunday's game will mark the first between the two teams since March 11, 2022, when the Cougars won 70-59 in the CAA Tournament quarterfinals in Philadelphia. Evonna McGill posted the only double-double of her career with 19 points and 10 rebounds, but the Phoenix still saw its 16-game winning streak over Charleston snapped.
• Elon has won 10 straight games against the Cougars in Charleston, S.C. – the last coming on Feb. 13, 2022, when Brie Perpignan scored 29 points to help the Phoenix to a 71-66 overtime victory.

 
LAST TIME OUT
 

• Elon split a pair of road games last weekend, defeating Delaware 63-60 on Friday to secure its first CAA victory before falling 61-49 to Drexel on Sunday.
• Raven Preston scored a game-high 17 points in the victory over the Blue Hens – highlighted by her buzzer-beating, game-winning 3-pointer. The shot was the Phoenix's second game-winning shot with less than five seconds left this season; Ajia James made a 3-pointer with five seconds left against High Point on Nov. 13, 2022.
• James also turned in a stellar effort against Delaware, tallying 10 points and 10 rebounds. The double-double was the Saint Peter's transfer's eighth of her career and her first at Elon.
• Evonna McGill and Kamryn Doty each added 13 points, giving the Phoenix four double-digit scorers for just the second time this season. Elon also had four against UNCG on Nov. 19, 2022.
• The Phoenix shot 51% (26-for-51) against the Blue Hens, its third-best mark of the season and its best since shooting 52% on Dec. 18, 2022, at Davidson.
• With 14 points against Drexel, McGill extended her double-digit scoring streak to a season-high-tying three games. The graduate center opened the year with three straight double-digit games against Wake Forest, NC State and High Point.
• Lenaejha Evans joined McGill in double figures with 10 points, tying her with Preston for the team lead with 12 double-digit efforts this season.
• Elon committed just 10 turnovers against the Dragons, its second fewest this season. The Phoenix is averaging 11.5 turnovers over its last four games; it entered the stretch averaging 20.1 turnovers through its first 17 games.

 
THAT'S SO RAVEN
 

• In a season full of highlights, Raven Preston delivered the signature moment of her young Elon career Friday when she banked in a buzzer-beating, game-winning 3-pointer in the Phoenix's 63-60 victory at Delaware.
• The miraculous shot – which came in at No. 9 on SportsCenter's Top 10 – secured Elon its first CAA victory this season. And on Monday, it earned the Greensboro, N.C., native her league-best fourth CAA Rookie of the Week award, tying her with Shay Burnett for the most by a Phoenix freshman since Elon joined the conference in 2014-15.
• Preston's 3-pointer handed the Phoenix its first walk-off win since Burnett made a buzzer-beating layup in a double-overtime victory at Delaware on Feb. 7, 2016. It also gave Preston a game-high 17 points, and she followed that up with nine points, six rebounds and three assists against Drexel on Sunday.
• With 13 points and a game-high 14 rebounds against Northeastern on Jan. 15, Preston posted her fourth double-double, setting a new freshman record under Charlotte Smith. 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 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.
• Entering Thursday, Preston ranked 15th in the CAA in scoring (12.9 points per game) and fifth in rebounding (7.9 boards per game). Both figures were the best among CAA freshmen. She also led conference freshmen with 12.3 points per game and a league-best 8.7 rebounds per game in CAA play.
• Preston has scored in double figures in seven of her first 10 CAA games and 12 times overall.

 
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 17 of the Phoenix's 21 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 NORTH CAROLINA A&T
 

• North Carolina A&T (14-6, 8-1 CAA) has wasted little time making noise in its first CAA season, winning eight of its first nine conference games. The Aggies' lone loss came against Delaware on Jan. 15, but they have since reeled off three straight victories over Stony Brook, Hampton and the College of Charleston and enter Friday atop the league standings.
• North Carolina A&T went 14-15 overall and 11-7 in Big South play last season, finishing sixth in the conference.
• The Aggies were picked to finish ninth in the CAA Preseason Poll.
• North Carolina A&T is led by preseason All-CAA second-team selection Jazmin Harris, who entered Thursday ranked sixth in the league in scoring (15.1 points per game) and first in rebounding (8.6 boards per game).
• Maleia Bracone and Jordyn Dorsey also ranked in the top 21 among qualified CAA players with 13.6 and 11.3 points per game, respectively, while D'Mya Tucker ranked 10th with 6.9 rebounds per game.

 
SCOUTING COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
 

• The College of Charleston (8-11, 3-6 CAA) enters Friday's home game against UNCW on a three-game losing streak. The Cougars fell 80-74 to William & Mary in overtime on Jan. 22 before losing 80-76 at Stony Brook on Jan. 26 and 76-71 at North Carolina A&T on Jan. 29.
• Charleston went 18-13 overall and 9-9 in CAA play last season, finishing sixth in the league.
• The Cougars were picked to finish second in the CAA Preseason Poll.
• Charleston is led by Jada Logan, who entered Thursday ranked second in the CAA in scoring (17.8 points per game) and ninth in rebounding (7.0 boards per game).
• Logan is one of four Cougars averaging double-digit points, along with preseason All-CAA honorable mention Anika McGarity (11.3), Jaila Roberts (10.4) and Jazmyn Stone (10.1).

 
UP NEXT
 

• Elon will return to Schar Center to host William & Mary at 7 p.m. on Feb. 10.