CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Chattanooga Mocs shot a blistering 58 percent from long range in the second half to halt a seven-game losing streak with an 83-75 victory over the visiting Elon Phoenix in mid-week Southern Conference basketball action from McKenzie Arena.
Chattanooga (10-16, 4-9) overcame a three-point halftime deficit, draining 7-of-10 from three-point land in the final period and outscoring the Phoenix 25-10 over a 10-minute span that gave the Mocs a lead they would never relinquish.
“Credit Chattanooga for the victory. They won the game,” Elon head coach Matt Matheny said. “Our guys played with energy and a confidence that is growing, but we were in for a 40-minute fight and in the end, Chattanooga came out on top. I am still encouraged by what we are doing.”
Phoenix guard Sebastian Koch posted a 20-point performance for the second straight game, leading five Elon players in double figures. Koch and classmate Jack Isenbarger combined for nine of the Phoenix’s 10 three-pointers on the night. Isenbarger finished with 14 points and matched his career-best with eight assists, running the point for ill freshman point guard Austin Hamilton.
Omar Wattad frustrated Elon for a second straight time this season, nailing four of his six treys in the second half. He finished with 22 points and eight rebounds. Ricky Taylor led all scorers with 24 points.
Elon (13-11, 8-5) led by as many as nine in the first half, but the frenetic pace of the game seemed to indicate that neither team was going to be able to pull away early. Back-to-back Chattanooga triples put the Mocs in front for the first time since the opening minutes, 62-59, with 8:32 on the clock. Chattanooga completed a 9-0 run when Taylor converted an old-fashioned three-point play.
A little give-and-go with Isenbarger and Beaumont resulted in a layup on the next play and jump-started a 7-2 run that closed the gap to 67-65 with 5:08 to play. Unfortunately, Elon would get no closer for the remainder of the contest as Chattanooga sensed a victory was in sight. The Mocs pushed their lead to 76-67 with less than two minutes on the clock and converted free throws to ensure the victory.
The up-and-down battle saw a total of 128 shot attempts. Chattanooga shot 49.2 percent from the field compared to 43.3 percent by the Phoenix. The glaring difference was a 10-of-30 (33.3 percent) performance by the Phoenix from beyond the arc compared to an 11-of-24 (45.8 percent) showing by Chattanooga.
Elon has another good evening creating shots for one another with 21 assists on 29 baskets.
In the first half, Isenbarger hit three consecutive treys to make it a 20-15 game in favor of the Phoenix at the 11:24 mark. Chattanooga clawed within one, 24-23, before a 10-2 Elon run featuring back-to-back Koch long balls made it 34-25 at the 4:09 mark of the opening half. The Mocs scored 13 points in the final 3:25 to close the gap to 41-38 at the break.
Elon will have little time to prepare for the Samford Bulldogs and their Princeton-style offense. The Phoenix and Bulldogs do battle in Birmingham, Ala., in an important North Division matchup on Saturday, February 11 at 5 p.m. (EST).