SLUG: Laila Anderson feature (Elon women)
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Cutline: Elon’s Laila Anderson drives to the lane earlier this season against Presbyterian and Allie Sykes, a former Western Alamance player.
Cutline: Laila Anderson, here with Elon coach Charlotte Smith, became a 1,000-point scorer for her college career.
Anderson brings energy, production for Elon women in final season
By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Playing women’s basketball for Elon has been an ideal way for Laila Anderson to expend her high energy level close to home.
“Basketball is just fun in general because it’s like a gift,” Anderson said. “We get the pleasure to do this.”
That time is winding down as Anderson will be in her final collegiate regular-season games this week, including a Senior Night outing vs. UNC Wilmington on Saturday night at Schar Center.
She’s enjoying the time as the season winds down.
“Just trusting the process and not trying to chase perfection, but trusting the process and just going with that and putting in work day-in and day-out,” Anderson said. “As you do that, that’s going to build your confidence and the confidence just shows on the court.”
Anderson had an eight-game stretch this winter with double-figure point totals.
“She plays hard at both ends of the floor and that takes a lot of energy and discipline,” Elon coach Charlotte Smith said.
Prior to college, Anderson played in gyms around Alamance County. In high school, she spent three seasons at Eastern Alamance before using her senior season at The Burlington School.
For Eastern Alamance, she led the team in scoring as a sophomore and junior. She was a member of the TBS state championship team in 2021-22.
Anderson competed as a college freshman and sophomore for Division II Mount Olive, holding a starting role in 37 of 54 games played and compiling the Trojans’ top scoring totals in each season.
She made the transition to Division I Elon as a starting guard last season.
“I just want her to be great,” Smith said. “She plays with joy and heart on both ends of the floor.”
Anderson has started more than half of Elon’s games this season. Her 8.8 points per game are the third-best average on the team.
Among the contributions is her constant energy.
“The team around me and the support, that plays in it as well,” Anderson said. “I truly think it comes from when I ran cross country in high school. As a kid, I always had energy and I always and I was always bouncing off the wall.”
Now she wants to make the most of these final opportunities. She missed Sunday’s game at Stony Brook with a minor injury, but she’s expected to be back for games this week.
“Regardless of anything, I’m still able to play basketball,” Anderson said. “Just being grateful for anything.”
Elon (14-14, 9-7 Coastal Athletic Association) plays its third consecutive road game with Thursday night’s outing at William & Mary before Saturday’s matchup vs. UNCW.
Recent results
Elon split a two-game road swing, with a 62-58 loss to Stony Brook on Sunday halting a season-best three-game winning streak.
The Phoenix couldn’t protect a five-point lead in the fourth quarter. LaNaé Corbett racked up 19 points and Quinzia Fulmore had 11 points for Elon.
Even with shooting 50 percent (23-for-46) from the field and holding a 33-18 rebounding edge, it wasn’t enough for the Phoenix. Elon shot 0-for-15 on 3-pointers.
- With Ashanti Fox posting 15 points and Kamryn Doty supplying 13 points, Elon topped Hofstra 58-56 on Friday in Hempstead, New York.
Elon’s 11-point fourth-quarter lead dwindled and the Phoenix needed a pair of defensive stops to hang on.
