Box Score
Box Score

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University women’s basketball team rallied back from 11 points down for the second straight game to come back and claim the win, as the Phoenix needed all 40 minutes of regulation and a five-minute overtime to register a 56-49 victory over the College of Charleston Cougars on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 22, in a key Southern Conference matchup inside Alumni Gym.

“We knew today was going to be a challenge and a tough battle because Charleston has been in every game this season,” said Elon head coach Karen Barefoot. “I’m very proud of the way we made big plays down the stretch. Julie [Taylor] hit a big shot and gave us a lot of energy and Candice [Silas] took a charge on defense and really stepped up for us. But Ali was the difference in the game late for us and really took over.”

Trailing by 11 points with 4:52 remaining, the Phoenix (13-5, 8-2) used an 11-0 run that was capped off by a deep three from Ali Ford with 1:54 remaining to tie it a 45-all. Ford extended the run to 13-0 just seconds later after hitting a pair of free throws to give Elon a 47-45 edge with 1:01 to play.

But the Cougars managed to tie the game and eventually send it to overtime with 38 seconds remaining after Janae Smith worked inside the paint for a layup following a timeout to knot it a 47-all. After a Phoenix turnover gave CofC the ball with 11 seconds left on the clock, Smith could not convert on a wide-open layup with five seconds left and the game went to an extra session.

It was all Elon in overtime, as Ford scored or assisted on the Phoenix’s first three baskets to put the maroon and gold ahead, 54-49. Elon secured the win in the waning moments after the Cougars were forced to foul down the stretch and send the Phoenix to the line.

The Phoenix outscored the Cougars 9-2 in overtime, Elon’s first game of OT since Jan. 18, 2010 against Wofford. Prior to today, Elon’s last win in overtime was Jan. 17, 2005 at Western Carolina.

“Our defensive really came through for us today and overall, we showed a lot of character down the stretch,” Barefoot added. “The fan support today was excellent and they really provided us with a lot of energy.”

Ford tallied a game-high 21 points on 6-of-17 shooting from the field in a career-high 43 minutes, including a 5-of-14 clip from beyond the arc, putting her over the 20-point mark for the sixth time this season.

“Our last game against UNCG and even last weekend against Wofford it felt like we were dragging our feet somewhat in the first half,” Ford said. “We’ve been a second half team lately and we need to get out of that. But when Julie [Taylor] hit that three late in the game today it was a real turning point for us knowing it was only a two-possession game.”

Three of Ford’s five makes from three-point land occurred in the final 2:38 of regulation and overtime. Ford also grabbed seven boards in the win, one shy of her career high mark that she set against Wofford last Sunday.

“When we play together and we see everyone working hard we know we can come back from anything and we’ve had to do that the past two games, “ Ford added. “We’ve been there before and we know what it takes down the stretch to win games.”

Kelsey Evans recorded her second straight five-block game and her fourth overall this season in the win to go along with 12 points and eight boards.

Rookie Candice Silas played well off the bench on both sides of the court, scoring four points and grabbing four boards to go along with a career- and game-high five steals.

As a team, Elon shot just 34.5 percent from the field, but a 12-of-17 (70.6 percent) performance at the free throw line proved to be the difference.

The Cougars went up by as many as 11 points after Latisha Harris hit a jumper to make it a 45-34 game, capping an 11-0 run for College of Charleston. Harris scored 10 points in the loss, while Smith registered a team-high 14 points for the Cougars.

College of Charleston had 10 turnovers in the final 3:39 of regulation and overtime, totaling 28 total turnovers that led to 31 Elon points. Over the course of Elon’s 13-0 run late in regulation, the Phoenix tallied eight points of CofC turnovers, including a pair of three pointers by Ford and Julie Taylor that sparked the comeback.

The victory marks Elon’s seventh in a row and its eighth straight in league play.

First place in the SoCon will be on the line on Monday night, Jan. 24, when the Mountaineers of Appalachian State come to Alumni Gym for a 7 p.m. contest. The Mountaineers topped UNC Greensboro, 83-72, earlier today to improve to 8-2 in conference play along with the Phoenix.