ELON, N.C. — The Elon men’s basketball team will be back in action at Alumni Gym on Saturday evening when the Phoenix hosts the Chattanooga Mocs in a critical Southern Conference North Division showdown. Both teams are looking to end two-game losing skids and Elon is looking to maintain its place atop the division standings. The game is set to tip at 7 p.m.
Site: Elon, N.C.
Arena: Alumni Gym
Series: Chattanooga leads, 10-8
Streak: Chattanooga has won two
Radio: WPCM 920 AM — Taylor Durham and Dick Stewart will call the action
FREE THROWS
• Elon is 5-3 at Alumni Gym this year but has lost three straight on Robertson Court.
• With a 3-3 Southern Conference record, the Phoenix is currently tied for first place in the North Division with Western Carolina.
• The Phoenix has shot above 40 percent from the field only twice in the last eight games.
• In the last eight contests, Elon is 60-of-195 (30.8 percent) from beyond the arc.
• Elon has held opponents to under 40 percent shooting in all eight wins this year — but opponents have shot 40 percent or better in all but one of the nine losses.
• The Phoenix ranks second in the SoCon in field goal percentage defense (.404). Opponents are shooting only 31.6 percent from three-point territory.
• Senior Drew Spradlin has preyed on SoCon opponents during his career, averaging 11.4 ppg over his three and a half years. He has hit 92 triples against league foes and shoots 42 percent from the field.
• Lucas Troutman moved into Elon’s all-time career blocks list with two swats against South Carolina. He is averaging 1.5 bpg, second in the league. The sophomore now has 72 blocks in a year and a half of action and is in seventh place all-time at Elon.
• The Phoenix has shot better than its opponent in all eight wins this year but has won the battle on the glass only three times this season.
LAST TIME OUT
• One game after shooting a season-low 23.9 percent, the Phoenix came out of a recent shooting slump on Thursday, connecting on 29-of-58 (50 percent) field goals, but still suffered the loss. That was Elon’s best shooting percentage in a loss since a 99-96 double overtime defeat to Davidson on Feb. 27, 2010 when Elon nailed 52 percent of its attempts.
• Samford drained 16 three-pointers – the first time an opponent has hit double figure triples this year and the most since Davidson nailed 16 in that double OT victory two seasons ago.
• Elon hit 11 threes marking only the third time this year the Phoenix has hit 10 or more. Last season, Elon connected on double digit makes from beyond the arc in 13 games.
ELON VS. CHATTANOOGA
• This has been a pretty even series, with each team taking two of the last four meetings. Elon won both games in 2009-10 and Chattanooga returned the favor last year.
• Sophomore Jack Isenbarger averaged 15 ppg in the two contests last year, hitting eight triples.
• Senior Drew Spradlin has faced UTC seven times and averages 11.6 ppg and shoots over 40 percent against the Mocs. He scored 21 and had eight rebounds in last year’s January meeting.
• The Mocs come to Elon losers of their last two games — both on the road — against Samford and UNCG.