Jan. 22, 2007

Final Stats

Cullowhee, N.C. - Utilizing a 9-0 run to open the game and 52.5-percent shooting in the opening 20 minutes of play, the Elon Phoenix raced to a double-digit lead and cruised to a 77-64 victory over Western Carolina Monday night in Southern Conference action in front of a season-best 3,910 in the Ramsey Center. The loss was Western's third-straight and marked just the second defeat at home this season for the Catamounts.

Western (7-12, 4-4 SoCon) put two players in double figures as both junior Antonio Russell and freshman Nick Aldridge recorded 18 points apiece, with Aldridge securing eight points from the free throw line and tallying three steals. His classmate, Brigham Waginger, added eight points including two 3-pointers. Junior transfer Arnold Gore battled through foul trouble to finish with six points and tied Aldridge for the team-high with five rebounds.

LeVonn Jordan posted 21 points and Chris Chalko added 16, including nine of Elon's first 11 points and 14 total in the first half, to pace the Phoenix, which improved to 5-13 overall and 3-6 in the SoCon's North Division. Brett James rounded out Elon's double-digit scorers with 10.

Chalko was hot right out of the gates for Elon (5-13, 3-6 SoCon), scoring less than 30 seconds into the game with a lay-up on the opening possession, and then converting a WCU turnover into one of his two 3-pointers for the early 5-0 lead. The South Bend, Ind., native would run the EU advantage to seven with a pair of free throws, with James capping the opening spurt by the Phoenix with a lay-up of his own. Aldridge finally snapped WCU's scoreless drought, turning a Kyle Greathouse steal into a fast break lay-up and a 9-2 score at the 15:27 mark.

However, Elon managed to balloon its lead into double-digits midway through the half and, as it would turn out, the closest Western could pull for the final 30 minutes was 10. Chalko capped off his first half scoring barrage with his second trey and a lay-up to give the Phoenix their largest lead of the opening stanza, 19 at 28-9, at the 7:58 mark of the first half with Elon managing a 14-point halftime lead, 37-23.

The Phoenix opened the second half with a 14-7 run to take their largest lead of the game, a 21-point advantage at 51-30, with 13:40 left to play. However, the Catamounts, refusing to go away, put together a 17-6 run to slice the lead to 10, 57-47, with 7:31 remaining after back-to-back Russell free throws. But, Elon responded with from the charity stripe, connecting on four-straight to push the cushion back to 14. Following an Aldridge jumper and an old-fashioned 3-point play from Russell, Western again pulled to within 10, 62-52. Elon converted a John Charlesworth jumper on the ensuing possession with WCU rallying yet again with a dunk by Brandon Giles from Russell to close to within 10 for the final time. After Giles' slam, the Phoenix outscored the Catamounts 11-to-1, including a pair of technical foul free throws, to pull ahead by 20 and managed the game down the stretch despite Western closing the game on an 9-2 run to cut the final edge to 13 at 77-64.

Between the two halves, Elon shot 51.2-percent from the floor, 40-percent from 3-point range and 76.3 percent from the line. On the flip side, the Catamounts shot 35.6-percent from the field, just 15-percent (3-of-20) from behind the arc and 67.9-percent from the line.

The Catamounts return to action this Saturday, Jan. 27 as they visit South Division leading, Davidson, at 7:00 pm in the Belk Arena. Last season, WCU snapped the Wildcats 19-game home winning streak with a 77-70 road win. Saturday's game will be broadcast by the Catamount Sports Network and can be heard in Western North Carolina on WWCU-FM, Power 90dot5 in Cullowhee or online at www.WWCUFM.com.