Elon Phoenix Women’s Basketball Meets Lady Mocs on Saturday

ELON, N.C. – The Elon women’s basketball team (12-9, 9-3) will begin a three-game road swing with a contest at conference leader Chattanooga (19-3, 12-1) on Saturday, Feb. 9. Tip is set for 5 p.m. in McKenie Arena in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Saturday, Feb. 9
Site: Chattanooga, Tenn. (McKenzie Arena)
Series: Chattanooga leads, 17-3
Last Meeting: Jan. 7, 2013 – Elon won, 70-60 (OT)
Radio: WSOE 89.3 FM – Ryan Balick will have the call

Last Time Out
Elon is coming off a 60-51 win over Western Carolina in which Ali Ford broke the SoCon’s all-time three-point record. Kelsey Evans tied an Elon single-game record with seven blocks against the Catamounts, while the Phoenix finished with 10 blocks as a team. Ford scored a game-high 16 points, while Kelsey Harris (13) and Jessica Farmer (11) also finished in double figures.

Scouting the Lady Mocs
Chattanooga picked up another conference win with a 60-46 win over Samford on Wednesday. The Lady Mocs shot 39 percent in the game and pulled down 46 boards. Ahlen Dewart is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 15 points and six boards per game. Kayla Christopher also averages in double figures with 12.3 ppg. As a team, UTC is second in the league in both scoring offense and scoring defense.

The Series
The Lady Mocs have a significant advantage in the all-time series, 17-3, but it was the Phoenix that pulled the upset in the last meeting, handing Chattanooga its only current loss of the conference season in an 70-60 overtime final. A layup by Kelsey Evans with six seconds left in regulation tied the game and helped the Phoenix overcome as much as a six-point deficit with under five minutes to play. In overtime, Elon outscored the Lady Mocs, 12-2. Evans finished with 19 points, a career-high 21 rebounds and five blocks, while Ali Ford posted a game-high 21 points.

Player of the Week
Ali Ford was named the SoCon Player of the Week on Feb. 5, earning her second player of the week award this season. Ford averaged 17 points per game for the Phoenix in games against Appalachian State and Western Carolina, going 11-of-20 from the field for a 55 percent shooting mark. The senior hit two threes, setting the new SoCon career record, and went 10-for-11 from the free throw line (90 percent). The Morganton, N.C., native also finished with nine rebounds, six assists and five steals.

Looking Ahead
The Phoenix will remain on the road and travel to Samford for a game on Monday, Feb. 11, for an 8 p.m. (eastern) tip in Birmingham, Ala.