The Elon University women’s basketball team is struggling. At 5-9, 1-2 in Southern Conference play, the Phoenix has hit a vital stretch in its season. If they hope to have any shot at a SoCon title or postseason birth, the Phoenix must hit its stride, and hit it quick.
Their next three games are all against teams with losing records, which gives the Phoenix its best chance to start a long winning streak. In order to do so, the Phoenix must take at least two of the three to right the ship.
But can they? Two of those three games – against Davidson College and Georgia Southern University – are on the road, and that presents a problem for the Phoenix, who is just 1-5 away from home.
But it’s not just losing road games that have plagued the Phoenix this season. Two other factors – the rash of injuries the team has suffered, which has forced head coach Charlotte Smith to play underclassman in big games and their inability to close games – have also kept the Phoenix from having much success thus far.
The Phoenix’s injuries have affected depth, which, in turn, has forced Smith to play her underclassman big minutes in meaningful games. Freshman guard Lauren Brown, freshman forward Jenifer Rhodes and sophomore forward Autumn Carter have all started at least five games, something Smith likely wouldn’t have foreseen in November.
It’s also forced Smith to have to mix and match her lineup, which has seen nine different players start at least one game and only two players start all 14 games. Those two players, Kelsey Harris and Zora Stephenson, are the team’s only double-digit scorers.
With a lack of consistency in the starting lineup and such reliance being put on their underclassman, the Phoenix was going to experience some growing pains. Their biggest problem has been closing out games – particularly in their two latest losses to North Carolina A&T State University and the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.
On New Years Eve, the Phoenix led N.C. A&T by 11, 46-35, with just over seven minutes remaining before allowing the Aggies to whittle away at its lead and tie the game at 52 less than two minutes later. Shortly after, the Aggies hit a three-pointer and a pair of free throws to escape Alumni Gym with a win.
Less than a week later, the Phoenix led UNCG, 64-60, late in the second half before allowing the Spartans to go on a 9-2 run and hand the Phoenix a second straight heartbreaking loss.
"Closing the game is doing the little things," Smith told elonphoenix.com after the game against the Spartans. "We talked before the game about doing that with excellency. Most notably is taking care of the basketball. We had 24 turnovers and we have to find a way to limit those because that created more offensive opportunities for them and they were able to capitalize. "
So what can the Phoenix do to avoid another damaging loss in the closing minutes of a game? Smith has had no choice but to throw her underclassman into the fire, and as a result has had to have patience as they grew and developed. The Phoenix’s upperclassman have had to carry the burden on both the offensive and defensive ends while their younger teammates contributed what they could as they adjusted to the collegiate level.
Now that the Phoenix’s younger players have experienced the pressure of protecting a lead late in the second half, and seen what they’ve done wrong previously, they will likely be more comfortable when the situation plays itself out again, because they now know what it takes to play effectively with the game on the line.