Elon Women’s Basketball’s Ford, Evans Continue to Receive Honors

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Honors are still rolling in for Elon women’s basketball’s Ali Ford and Kelsey Evans as both were named to the 2013 North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) All-State team as announced today, June 25. Ford was one of five to be named to the first team, while Evans was honored on the second team.

This is Ford’s fourth straight all-state first team selection, making her the only player to earn the honor all four years. Ford finished her illustrious career with the Phoenix as the second-leading all-time scorer in program history and seventh in Southern Conference history with her 2,020 career points. Over the course of the season, the Morganton, N.C., native became the SoCon’s all-time leader in career threes and only the second Elon player to reach 2,000 points. She was a two-time SoCon Player of the Week selection during the season and set a new Elon season high with her free throw percentage (90.8), ranking first in the conference and eighth in the NCAA. At the end of the regular season, Ford was selected All-Southern Conference by the coaches and to the All-SoCon first team by the media, making her only the fifth player in conference history to earn all-SoCon honors four times. She led the team during the 2012-13 season in points, points per game, threes, assists and free throws. Ford graduated from Elon in May with a degree in sport and event management.

Evans receives her second all-state honor after leading the team in field goal percentage, rebounds and blocks this past season, while also ranking in the top-five in the SoCon in those categories as well. She became only the third player in program history to reach both the 1,000-point and 1,000-rebound mark and finished sixth and third, respectively in those categories in the Elon record book. The Raleigh, N.C., native, also became the school’s all-time leader in blocked shots, finishing with 227 for her career, while tying Elon’s single-game record of seven blocks against Western Carolina. During the season, Evans set new career highs with 21 rebounds against Chattanooga and 31 points at Georgia Southern. She earned both SoCon Player and Student-Athlete of the Week awards during the season and was an All-SoCon selection by the coaches and a second team pick by the media. After her play in the SoCon Tournament, she was named to the All-SoCon Tournament second team. Evans graduated from Elon in May with a degree in exercise science and a minor in biology.

Founded in 2002, NCCSIA is comprised of sports information professionals from NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA and independent institutions from the state of North Carolina. The organization seeks to promote collegiate athletics and student-athletes at all schools. Membership is open to anyone affiliated with a college, university or conference located in North Carolina, and whose area of responsibility lies within sports information.

NCCSIA Women’s Basketball University Division All-State First Team
G: Celeste Stewart, Sr., East Carolina
G: Ali Ford, Sr., Elon
F: Amanda Dow, Sr., Charlotte
F: Anna Freeman, Sr., Appalachian State
F: Jennifer Hailey, Sr., Charlotte

NCCSIA Women’s Basketball University Division All-State Second Team
G: Tonisha Baker, Sr., Campbell
G: JaQuayla Berry, Sr., North Carolina A&T
F: Kelsey Evans, Sr., Elon
F: Kiera Gaines, So., Campbell
F: Karneshia Garrett, Sr., UNC Wilmington