BUIES CREEK, N.C.-Campbell women's basketball will get underway for the 27^th time under the guidance of Head Coach Wanda Watkins this weekend at the Elon ISES Cancer Awareness Tip-Off Tournament.

The tourney, hosted by the Phoenix, is being held in memory of former Elon women's basketball associate head coach Ann Lashley, who passed away on Nov. 10, 2005 after a six-month battle with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

"We are honored to be a part of the tournament as we had a great deal of respect for Ann," said Watkins. "She was a tremendous asset to Brenda and her program at Elon and the game of women's basketball. It is a wonderful way to pay tribute to both Ann and her family. We feel privileged to be a participant."

In addition to the Camels and Elon, Penn and William and Mary will head into Alumni Gym for the two day tournament.

CU will hit the court first on Friday, Nov. 9 at 5 p.m. to face the Tribe of William and Mary, a team that went 19-12 last season, finishing fifth in the Colonial Athletic Association.

"Our team will enter the weekend with a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm," said Watkins. "It will be a great tournament and we will be challenged with good competition. Hopefully we can be a team that capitalizes on our strengths and strives to develop some consistency in the early going this year."

The Tribe return four starters from last season's squad, including senior forward Kyra Kaylor (14.8 points per game, 9.1 rebounds per game), senior guard Devin James (12.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and Dani Kell (12.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg).

Campbell has only faced the Tribe once since beginning a women's basketball program in 1972, that meeting coming on Dec. 3, 1994 in Williamsburg, Va. The Tribe handed CU a 62-44 loss in that game behind 12 points from 6-foot-4 sophomore center Nina McIntyre, who went on to lead William and Mary in rebounding and field goal percentage that year.

Campbell will return to action on Saturday at 7 p.m., playing a much more familiar opponent in tourney host Elon.

The two squads faced each other twice last season, with the Phoenix taking both contests. In their Nov. 30, 2006 meeting in Buies Creek, the Camels saw production from Murphy, collecting 12 points, eight boards, four steals and a block, but Elon took the win, 76-68, with Rachel Hester's 21 points.

The Phoenix also return four starters from last season's 10-20, 4-14 Southern Conference campaign.

Among Elon's top returners are Tierra Bumbrey (8.4 ppg, 3.73 apg), a senior guard, and sophomore forward Amber Wall (7.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg). The Phoenix also return junior forward Kitara McMoore, who averaged 14.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game during the 2005-06 season, but missed last year due to a knee injury.

Meanwhile, the Fighting Camels will enter the weekend on the strength of two returning starters, including senior forwards Marlena Murphy and Maggie Rich.

Murphy, a 2007-08 Atlantic Sun Pre-Season All-Conference selection, paced CU last season, averaging 12.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game last year, while Rich recorded 4.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per contest.

Last season, the Lady Camels went 8-21 on the year, but hope to rebound in 2007-08, beginning this weekend.

"We will be building our team around the strength of Marlena, but expect others to step it up this year," said Watkins. "I believe we will have some of our younger players show impact early this season due to their off season work ethic. It will be necessary in order for us to have success in our non-conference and conference games."