Women's Basketball Southern Conference

Elon Announces Women's Basketball Schedule

ELON, NC -- Elon University women's basketball head coach Brenda Paul today announced the 2003-04 schedule for her Phoenix program. This season's slate of games will pit the Phoenix against top-notch competition yet again.

The season will begin on Friday, November 21 when Paul's squad will visit Duke, a Final Four team a season ago, for a 7:00 p.m. tip.

The Phoenix will be participating in the Mountain View Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Joining Elon in the field will be host New Mexico, Villanova and Youngstown State. Both New Mexico and Villanova were 2003 NCAA Tournament participants.

The non-conference schedule will see William & Mary and Longwood visit the Nest while the Phoenix will visit North Carolina A&T and American.

Elon's first season in Southern Conference play will see 20 league games played. Southern Conference play will begin for the Phoenix on December 13 when the squad travels to three-time defending league champion Chattanooga for a 1:00 p.m. contest. The first home conference game for the Phoenix will be on January 3 when Wofford visits for a 4:30 p.m. game.

Of this year's schedule, Paul says, "We've got a tough challenge ahead of us this year. Not only do we face teams like Duke, New Mexico and Villanova, but we have to adjust to the level of play in the Southern Conference, a league ranked in the top half of the RPI. We are excited about facing these challenges and we are looking forward to this season."

"We have three starters returning and are a veteran club," Paul says of her squad. "Because we are a veteran team, I believe we will be able to be competitive within our league."

Last year, as a member of the Big South Conference, Elon compiled an overall record of 19-10, its best mark since moving to Division I play, and finished second in the league with an 11-3 conference mark.

The Southern Conference, founded in 1921, is the fourth oldest NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association. Members that sponsor women's basketball are Appalachian State, College of Charleston, Chattanooga, Davidson, East Tennessee State, Elon, Furman, Georgia Southern, UNC Greensboro, Western Carolina and Wofford.