Elon Phoenix Women’s Basketball Hosts Lady Bears for Final 2012 Home Contest

ELON, N.C. – The Elon women’s basketball team (3-4) will play its final home game of 2012 with a 7 p.m. contest against Morgan State (4-5) on Thursday, Dec. 13. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for all youth 12 and under. Anyone that brings a coat to donate to Elon’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s Coat Drive will receive one free admission per coat.

Thursday, Dec. 13
Site: Elon, N.C. (Alumni Gym)
Series: Elon leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Dec. 5, 2010 – Elon won, 69-61
Radio: WSOE 89.3 FM – Greg Brzozowski will have the call

Last Time Out
The Phoenix dropped its last game in nearby Raleigh, N.C., against NC State. Elon stormed back from a 22-point deficit to close the gap to six after a 39-23 run, but the Wolfpack took the eventual victory, 88-73. Ali Ford led all players with a new season-high of 26 points, while also recording a game-high six assists. Zora Stephenson and Kelsey Harris also finished in double figures with 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Scouting the Lady Bears
Morgan State is 4-5 on the season after a 70-63 overtime victory at home against crosstown rival Coppin State on Dec. 3. The Lady Bears’ Bianca Jarrett and Tracey Carrington both recorded double-doubles in the game as Jarrett tied her career high of 26 points. MSU is led by Jarrett who is averaging 19.5 points per game and has a team-high 30 assists. Carrington is also averaging in double figures with 12.3 ppg.

The Series
Elon and Morgan State have only met once before on the hardwood. The Phoenix and the Lady Bears played last on Dec. 5, 2010, with the maroon and gold winning, 69-61. Ali Ford was the game’s leading scorer with 24 points, while Kelsey Evans also scored in double figures with 13 points.

Movin’ On Up
After her strong performance at NC State, Ali Ford has moved into second on Elon’s all-time scoring list. The senior now has 1,620 career points, which is 810 points shy of Venessa Corbett’s record. Ford is 145 points away from moving into the top-10 on the SoCon’s all-time scoring list.

NCAA Rankings
The NCAA released its updated women’s basketball rankings for the 2012-13 season on Monday and Elon players rank in the top 50 in several categories. Ali Ford is 14th in free throw percentage (92 percent) and 16th in three pointers made per game (3.0). Kelsey Evans ranks 27th in blocks per game (2.43) and her four double-doubles this season is 27th nationally. Shon Redmond ranks first in single-game highs with her 10 steals against UNCW. As a team, the Phoenix ranks 23rd in blocks per game with 5.6.

Looking Ahead
Elon goes on a two-game road swing after Thursday, beginning with a game at Campbell on Thursday, Dec. 20, in Buies Creek, N.C. Tip is set for 7 p.m. The Phoenix will close out 2012 with a game in Greensboro, N.C., at North Carolina A&T on Dec. 31.