ELON, N.C.---The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga lost 83-80 at Elon in Southern Conference North Division action Saturday night.  The Mocs are now 11-9, 3-4 in SoCon play, while the Phoenix improve to 4-15, 2-6 in the league.

Ty Patterson led the Mocs with a career-high 28 points to go six rebounds and two steals.  Ridge McKeither posted his second double-double with 16 points and a career-high 11 boards.

Elon's Drew Spradlin matched Patterson with a career high of his own with 30 on the night including eight three-pointers.  Chris Long tied his high of 25 points while adding four rebounds and seven assists.

The Mocs were up 15-13 after a Daniel Watts jumper brought the Phoenix within two with 14:33 to go in the first half.  Chattanooga went on a 10-0 run capped by a Patterson three-pointer at 12:19 to make it 25-13 for the Mocs.  UTC extended the lead to as many as 14 points, 33-19, while holding Elon without a field goal for 5:30.

The Phoenix answered with a 20-0 run, hitting six three-pointers, four by Spradlin, to take a 39-33 lead on a Spradlin trey at 2:33.  Elon out-scored UTC 29-8 over the final eight minutes ending the half with a 48-39 lead.

Elon hit 12 of 18 attempts (66.7%) from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes.  Spradlin alone hit six.  The two teams combined to hit 19 threes as the Mocs had seven with three each by Taylor and Patterson.

Spradlin put the Phoenix up 11, 50-39, with a basket at 18:01.  With Elon leading 52-41 at 17:27, the Mocs tightened up defensively holding the Phoenix without a field goal for 7:31 propelling an 18-2 run to re-take the lead on a Jasper Williams three at 11:42.

Long and Spradlin hit back-to-back threes to put the Phoeniz back on top 60-59 at 9:07.  It was the Mocs turn to respond as Patterson hit a three and then a slam dunk off a steal to make 64-62 Mocs at 7:53.

Two Long free throws knotted the score at 73-all with 3:45 left.  Patterson drained a three on the ensuing possession to put the Mocs back up, but Spradlin immediately answered to tie it at 76 with 3:12 remaining.

A McKeither layup was sandwiched by one-for-two free throws by Terrance Birdette and Adam Constantine to make 78-all.  McKeither put the Mocs up two, 80-78, at 1:24.  Birdette made a layup off a steal in the frontcourt to give Elon the lead for good, 81-80, with 39.8 left.  After two Long free throws with 15 seconds left, the Mocs could not muster a tying three in the final seconds.

McKeither had 12 points and 10 rebounds in the second half as the Mocs won the battle on the glass 39-33.  Despite the advantage, Elon's 12 second half second chance points, after zero in the opening frame, were pivotal in the loss.

Ricky Taylor added 13 points for the Mocs, all in the first half.  Birdette chipped in 11 for the Phoenix.

Chattanooga completes its three-game road trip on Monday travelling to Wofford Monday night for a doubleheader with the Lady Mocs with the men scheduled to start at 7 p.m.  Catch all of the Mocs' action on ESPN Radio 105.1 FM with the Voice of the Mocs, Jim Reynolds, providing play-by-play in his 30th season behind the microphone.  Live stats, live video (selected games) and audio are also available on GoMocs.com.