ELON, N.C. – Coming off a 30-point road win on Saturday, the Elon women’s basketball team plays its final regular season game away from Alumni Gym on Monday night, Feb. 20, when the Phoenix takes on the College of Charleston Cougars. Tip is set for 7 p.m. inside TD Arena. The game will be featured on ESPN3.com.
THE SERIES: Monday night marks the 21st all-time meeting between the Phoenix and Cougars. CofC holds a 13-7 advantage in the all-time series, but Elon has won the last three meetings. The two teams met earlier this season on Jan. 15 in Alumni Gym, as the Phoenix used a 15-4 run late in the second half to come back from eight points down to win. Ali Ford scored a game-high 15 points for Elon, while Kelsey Evans added 12. Elon is 2-6 all-time on the road versus CofC. The two teams first met on March 12, 1981 in the AIAW Regional in Hickory, N.C., where CofC came away with an 85-71 win.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Phoenix looks to “White Out” Wofford on Saturday, Feb. 25, in Alumni Gym when it welcomes the Terriers to town for a 2 p.m. tip. The first 200 students in attendance receive a free Elon basketball t-shirt. Following Saturday’s game, Elon closes out the regular season on Feb. 27 at home against Western Carolina. The team will celebrate Senior Night and the final home game for Aiesha Harper, Jermile’ Batten, Erica Keto and Kallie Hovatter.
30-POINT SALUTE: Elon’s 83-53 win over Georgia Southern on Feb. 18 marks the program’s largest margin of victory over a Southern Conference team since joining the league in 2003-04. Previously, Elon handed Western Carolina a 27-point defeat on Jan. 27, 2011 in Cullowhee along with a 25-point win against Samford earlier this season on Dec. 5.
ELITE COMPANY: With seven points at Georgia Southern on Saturday, Ali Ford now sits at 1,454 career points, five points shy of passing Elon Hall of Famer Donna Trollinger for fourth in program history. Including Trollinger, three of the four players ahead of Ford in scoring are in the Elon Hall of Fame (Trollinger, Lou Williamson and Venessa Corbett). Ford became Elon’s all-time three-point leader on Jan. 28 and the Southern Conference’s all-time leader from beyond the arc on Dec. 29.
CAREER NIGHT: Aiesha Harper scored a career-high 21 points at Georgia Southern on Feb. 18. Harper’s previous career high came last season on Feb. 19 against Samford when she scored 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field.
CLOSING IN ON 900: With 14 points at Georgia Southern on Feb. 18, Kelsey Evans now sits at 898 career points. Evans has also grabbed 690 career rebounds and blocked 157 shots (third in Elon history) in her career.
GETTING DEFENSIVE: Elon has held its opponent to 50 or fewer points in six of its victories this season. The Phoenix accomplished that feat four times all of last season.
ROAD TO ASHEVILLE: The 2012 Southern Conference Tournament is scheduled for March 2-5 in Asheville, N.C. Kimmel Arena will play host to the first round and quarterfinal games on March 2-3 before the tournament shifts to the Asheville Civic Center for the semifinals and championship on March 4-5.