ELON, N.C. – Throughout her career in basketball,
Charlotte Smith has always delivered excellence.
As a player at North Carolina, Smith became just the second player to ever dunk in a women's college basketball game and also hit a buzzer beater for the Tar Heels to win the 1994 national championship game. Following a successful career as a professional, Smith transitioned to coaching.
Smith served as an assistant at her alma mater for nine seasons before being named the sixth head coach for Elon on June 11, 2011. Since taking over the program, Smith has become the school's all-time leader in wins and has led the Phoenix to a pair of CAA championships and NCAA Tournament bids.
On Jan. 12, 2024, Smith won the 200th game of her illustrious coaching career, leading Elon to a 45-44 road victory over Campbell. Before the game, Smith had a message for her team.
"We talked about scoring one more point than our opponents, and we were able to do that today," Smith said. "I felt like it was a really good collective effort defensively. We were able to get stops, be disciplined and not foul down the stretch."
For Smith, the milestone is a testament to the coaches and staff she has worked with throughout her Elon career, in addition to her players.
"It's wonderful and I'm just blessed to have been surrounded by a great staff for the last 13 years," Smith said. "This doesn't get done alone."
To celebrate her 200 wins, Rising Phoenix took a look back through Smith's tenure at Elon, highlighting some of her most memorable and significant victories with the maroon and gold.
Win No. 1: First Win At Elon
Nov. 12, 2011 | Elon 70, Virginia Union 46
Smith earned her first career victory as a head coach in Elon's 2011 season opener at Alumni Gym. Juniors Ali Ford and Kelsey Evans, both preseason All-Southern conference selections, combined to score 40 points, with Ford going for a team-high 26 and Evans posting the 16th double-double of her career.
Win No. 3: First Southern Conference VIctory
Dec. 5, 2011 | Elon 69, Samford 44
A dominant effort by the Phoenix secured Smith's first Southern Conference victory with the maroon and gold. Freshman Sam Coffer went 4-7 from beyond the arc on her way to scoring a team-high 20 points. An 18-0 run over an eight-minute stretch in the first half helped the Phoenix go up by as many as 27 points on the reigning Southern Conference Tournament champions.
Win No. 5: First Road Win
Dec. 19, 2011 | Elon 74, Wofford 68
Seven points in the final 2:50 by Ali Ford sealed Smith's first road victory as a head coach. Ford racked up a team-high 27 points and knocked down seven triples to lead the Phoenix to a road conference win. Elon trailed by double-digits in the first half but a late 12-0 run helped the Phoenix take the lead near the end of the first half. Elon made 11 threes in the game against the top three-point defense in the Southern Conference.
Win No. 22: Thrilling Win In First Overtime Game
Jan. 7, 2013 | Elon 70, Chattanooga 60 (OT)
Smith's first overtime victory as a head coach was also Elon's third all-time against Southern Conference rival Chattanooga. A layup in the closing seconds by Kelsey Evans tied the game at 58-58 and sent it to extra time, where the Phoenix outscored the Mocs 12-2. Evans led the team with 19 points and a career-high 21 rebounds, while Ali Ford had 21 points to lead the Phoenix in scoring.
"This was a huge win for the program," Smith said after the game. "I felt like we came out tonight focused on the game plan and we did a lot of intangible things that carried us to the win in overtime. Defense and rebounding – those are the two things you can control and those are the two things we dominated, especially in overtime. We just executed in the clutch."
Win No. 34: First Southern Conference Tournament Victory
March 9, 2013 | Elon 70, Samford 60
The No. 3 seed at the 2013 Southern Conference Tournament, the Phoenix defeated No. 6 seeded Samford for Smith's first win in a conference tournament game. Ali Ford led the Phoenix with 17 points and seven assists, while Kelsey Evans and Kelsey Harris also scored in double figures. The win advanced Elon to the semifinals of the tournament.
Win No. 50: Second Southern Conference Tournament Win
March 8, 2014 | Elon 59, Appalachian State 56
An Appalachian State three in the closing seconds fell just short to give Elon a second consecutive victory in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference Tournament. The No. 5 seeded Phoenix took down the tournament's No. 4 seed behind 14 points a piece from Lauren Brown and Kelsey Harris. Sam Coffer hit a pair of clutch free throws to give Elon the three-point lead entering Appalachian State's final possession.
Win No. 58: First CAA Victory
Jan. 4, 2015 | Elon 60, Delaware 50
In its debut game as a member of the CAA, Elon delivered a road win against Delaware. Zora Stephenson, Lauren Brown and Malaya Johnson all scored 10 points to lead a balanced Phoenix scoring attack. Essence Baucom tied a career high with nine assists to go along with nine points as Elon pulled away late.
"We talked about making history today. No other team is going to be able to play this game – the very first CAA game," Smith said after the win. "I felt like we did a great job of our focus defensively. Our press defense created some havoc and we were able to capitalize off some turnovers and that gave us a lot of energy and momentum."
Win No. 69: First CAA Tournament Victory
March 13, 2015 | Elon 60, UNCW 48
In the program's first ever CAA Tournament game, No. 4 seeded Elon defeated No. 5 seeded UNC Wilmington to advance to the semifinals. The Phoenix lost both its regular season matchups against the Seahawks but avenged them in the postseason behind 15 points from Josepha Mbouma and 10 from Shay Burnett.
Win No. 75: Elon's First Ever Win Against NC State
Dec. 13, 2015 | Elon 69, NC State 66
One of the most significant wins in the program's history to date, Elon held on late for its first ever victory over North Carolina State. Elon took the lead with just 2:08 left to play before a Lauren Brown steal and fast-break layup gave the maroon and gold a two possession advantage. The Phoenix stood tall defensively from there to secure the historic win. Brown led the way with 18 points with Maddie McCallie, Shay Burnett and Malaya Johnson all adding double digits.
"It's a great win for our program," Smith said after the game. "Hopefully it'll build momentum and confidence for this team to go into games of this caliber and compete to our highest potential. I think we were a lot more focused this time around. We wanted to focus on taking care of the basketball this year and to defend. Then you have to shoot the ball well in order to win. I think we did all the things to give ourselves a chance to be successful today."
Win No. 83: Double Overtime Madness At Delaware
Feb. 7, 2016 | Elon 66, Delaware 64 (2OT)
The first double overtime game of Smith's career resulted in a nail-biting victory for the Phoenix. Lauren Brown hit a three in the final seconds of regulation to send the game to overtime, where Shay Burnett hit a clutch three of her own with two seconds left on the clock to force another overtime period. In the second overtime, Burnett delivered again, this time with a game-winning layup in the final second.
Win No. 88: First Win Over Big Ten Opponent
Nov. 14, 2016 | Elon 66, Rutgers 54
For the first time in program history, Elon knocked off a Big Ten opponent, as the Phoenix led wire-to-wire to upset Rutgers at Alumni Gym. Shay Burnett scored a game-high 20 points and Lauren Brown pitched in with 13 points of her own. This was the second win over a Power Five school in as many seasons for the Phoenix.
Win No. 100
Jan. 15, 2017 | Elon 75, Drexel 65
A ninth straight victory for the Phoenix was also the 100th for Smith with the program. Four Elon players scored in double figures, led by Lauren Brown's 19. Shay Burnett fell just one assist and one rebound short of recording the first triple-double in Elon history, as she finished the night with 10 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
Win No. 111: First CAA Regular Season Title
March 1, 2017 | Elon 82, UNCW 48
For the first time since moving up to the Division I ranks, Elon secured a regular season conference title. A dominant victory over UNCW at Alumni Gym gave the Phoenix its first CAA regular season crown and secured the No. 1 seed for the team at the CAA Tournament. Lauren Brown and Jenifer Rhodes both went over 20 points and the 34-point margin of victory was Elon's largest to date over a CAA opponent.
"It was just a well-played game on both ends of the floor and it feels amazing to be CAA regular season champions," Smith said after the game.
Wins Nos. 112-14: First CAA Tournament Championship
March 9, 2017 | Elon 78, Hofstra 50
March 10, 2017 | Elon 88, William & Mary 60
March 11, 2017 | Elon 78, James Madison 60
Elon capped off its best season in Division I history with a dominant march to the program's first CAA Tournament title. The Phoenix won all three of its tournament games by at least 18 points to double down on its regular season title and earn the program's first NCAA Tournament bid. Lauren Brown was selected as the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after scoring 17 points in the championship game against James Madison, with Essence Baucom and Shay Burnett also making the All-Tournament Team.
"I'm still pinching myself because this doesn't seem real," Smith said after defeating James Madison. "I'm so extremely proud of this team and the effort that we put forth in every single game throughout this tournament. We met our defensive goals in regards to holding teams under 40 percent. We rebounded the ball well and we shared the basketball all night long. Those were the three things we did an incredible job at the entire tournament."
Win No. 119: Elon Knocks Off Alabama
Nov. 24, 2017 | Elon 60, Alabama 55
Shay Burnett's 23 points helped Elon hold off Alabama at the Puerto Rico Classic to send the Phoenix to 5-0 on the season, the best start in the program's Division I history. The win was Smith's third over a Power Five opponent and her first against a SEC school.
Win No. 136: Longest Winning Streak In Program History
March 3, 2018 | Elon 58, UNCW 49
Smith and the Phoenix closed out the 2017-18 season with 10 consecutive victories, the last of which established the first double-digit winning streak in program history. Malaya Johnson led the Phoenix with 16 points with Meme Garner and Shay Burnett also scoring in double figures. The win was also Smith's final in Alumni Gym.
Wins Nos. 137-39: Back-To-Back CAA Tournament Titles
March 8, 2018 | Elon 67, William & Mary 50
March 9, 2018 | Elon 76, James Madison 53
March 10, 2018 | Elon 57, Drexel 45
Elon not only defended its CAA Tournament title from the season before but did so in similar dominant fashion, winning all three of its tournament games by at least 12 points to win its second ever conference championship and secure its second straight NCAA Tournament berth. Malaya Johnson led the Phoenix with 14 points in the championship game against Drexel while Shay Burnett and Saadia Munford added 13 apiece. The win extended Elon's program record to 13 in a row and marked just the second time to date a team outside of the top two seeds won the CAA Tournament.
Win No. 141: First Win At Schar Center
Nov. 28, 2018 | Elon 88, Chowan 74
In the program's second game at the newly opened Schar Center, Smith secured her first win in the building behind a 20-point night from Jaylin Powell, who made six triples on the night. Emily Maupin and Brie Perpignan also reached double-digit points as the Phoenix bench scored 37 points in the win.
Win No. 150
Nov. 13, 2019 | Elon 67, Appalachian State 66 (OT)
Smith reached win No. 150 thanks to a 21-point comeback at Schar Center. Elon outscored the Mountaineers 15-2 in the final quarter to erase its deficit and force overtime. An and-one by Jaylin Powell off a Brie Perpignan assist with 15 seconds left in overtime put the Phoenix ahead for the first time all night, and a final defensive stand sealed an improbable win.
Win No. 162: CAA Tournament Win At Schar Center
March 11, 2020 | Elon 71, Hofstra 51
Hosting the CAA Tournament for the first time since joining the conference, Elon opened the event with a resounding victory in the quarterfinals at Schar Center. Four Phoenix players scored at least 10 points, led by Ariel Colón's 13 and Tyja Traore's 12. Kayla Liles led a strong defensive effort with a career-best six steals.
Win No. 173: Program Leader In Wins
Nov. 11, 2021 | Elon 76, North Carolina A&T 66
With a 10-point victory at Schar Center over North Carolina A&T, Charlotte Smith earned career win No. 173, making her Elon's all-time winningest coach. Smith surpassed Brenda Paul, who coached the Phoenix to 172 wins from 1994-2008. Ariana Nance led the Phoenix with 19 points, while Brie Perpignan and Evonna McGill both added 16.
Win No. 176: Incredible Comeback Makes SportsCenter
Dec. 15, 2021 | Elon 52, UNCG 49
Down as many as 19 in the second half on the road against UNCG, Elon mounted a furious charge in the fourth quarter to capture an improbable victory. The Phoenix outscored the Spartans 17-2 in the final frame. Evonna McGill tied the game with 19 seconds remaining before Brie Perpignan won it for the maroon and gold with and-one in the final second. Perpignan scored a team-high 14 points and Ariana Nance added 11. Later that night, both Elon basketball teams made ESPN's SportsCenter for their dramatic last-second victories.
Win No. 191: Raven Preston Buzzer-Beater Makes SportsCenter Top 10
Jan. 27, 2023 | Elon 63, Delaware 60
A desperation 3-pointer by Raven Preston with time expiring banked in to give Elon a stunning CAA road victory. Preston's last-second shot capped off a 17-point night for the eventual CAA Rookie of the Year. The play appeared on the next morning's SportsCenter Top 10 Plays. It was Elon's second game-winning shot in the final five seconds of a game in the 2022-23 season, as Ajia James also made a 3-pointer late in a win against High Point.
Win No. 200
Jan. 12, 2024 | Elon 45, Campbell 44
Smith secured the 200th victory of her coaching career in a defensive battle against the Camels. The Phoenix secured 11 steals, with a career-high six coming from Vanessa Taylor, who also had 10 points and eight rebounds. The maroon and gold pulled down 14 offensive rebounds and survived a final Campbell possession in the waning seconds to deliver Smith the milestone victory.
Charlotte Smith's 200 Wins By The Numbers:
Wins at Alumni Gym: 77
Wins at Schar Center: 32
True Road Wins: 78
Neutral Court Wins: 13
Southern Conference Wins: 36
CAA Wins: 82
Regular Season Wins: 189
Postseason Wins: 11
'Rising Phoenix' is a new student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department's various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on Twitter (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Jacob Kisamore at jkisamore@elon.edu.
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