The Elon University men's basketball team had its first outing of the fall Tuesday night, trouncing Division III Randolph College 88-43 in an exhibition game in Alumni Gym.
The Phoenix shone on both ends of the floor, dominating possession in a game that saw Elon shoot 53% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc.
Elon’s lineup looked fairly similar to last year’s, as the team only graduated four seniors, only one of whom started. Only one of Elon’s freshmen, guard Seth Fuller, saw time against Randolph, and his eight minutes in the second half were almost an afterthought.
Instead, the stars of the night were Elon’s sophomores. Sophomore forward Tyler Seibring lead Elon in the scoring column, dropping 15 points, including three baskets from downtown.
Another sophomore, forward/center Karolis Kundrotas, put up 11 points. Kundrotas looked strong in the low post, which could put him in the running for a starting spot. Head coach Matt Matheny noted his performance, but said that he needed to be more consistent.
Junior guard Dmitri Thompson shot 100% on the evening, notching 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting, including three 3-pointers. Sophomore guard Steven Santa Ana led the Phoenix in rebounding, pulling in seven.
“We have a lot of different guys who can score”, said senior Christian Hairston.
Thirteen different Elon played recorded points on Tuesday, as Matheny called upon a number his bench players in the blowout.
“I really think this offseason is the best offseason we’ve ever had since I've been here”, Matheny said, adding that the team had spent a lot of time in the weight room, but also improved on-court skills.
The Phoenix opens the regular season at 8 p.m. Friday, November 11, when it hosts another Division III school, William Peace University.