For the first time in 21 games this season, Elon University coach Matt Matheny decided to start a different lineup of five players.
But, it was more than just subbing senior guard Jack Isenbarger and junior guard Kevin Blake into the lineup that helped the Phoenix snap a three-game losing skid and beat Western Carolina University, 74-60, at home.
Elon worked to attack more offensively and defensively while putting down their heads and focusing, avenging a 74-62 loss at Western Carolina from Jan. 4.
“Up there, they came after us,” Elon senior forward Lucas Troutman said. “They came ready to play. They came out, hit us in the mouth, and shut us down. We came out aggressive tonight. We hit them in the mouth the way they did us, and I think that was the turning point.”
What Troutman called “something new, fresh, and different,” Matheny started Isenbarger and Blake in place of junior guard Austin Hamilton and sophomore guard Tanner Samson. Matheny said he was pleased with the way they all responded, with everyone but Hamilton tallying double-digit point totals.
“What I am excited about in the lineup change is not only did we get a little bit of a spark from Jack and Kevin, but I really like how Austin and Tanner responded,” Matheny said. “I thought Austin came in and was playing on his toes and really attacked. I thought Tanner came in ready to go tonight, and he hit big shots.”
Matheny added that Blake’s “spark” was noticeable and that Isenbarger had “an aggression with the way we ran our system.” Blake consistently drove the lane, making all five of his shots and totaling 12 points, while Isenbarger was 3 of 3 from three-point range for 11 points.
“I cannot imagine us changing it,” Matheny said in regards to the new-look lineup.
Elon opened the game on a 10-2 run and led by as many as 18 in the first half. The Phoenix saw five three-pointers fall in the half and had a span on defense that held the Catamounts to one field goal in 7:31. All-Southern Conference senior guard Trey Sumler, who leads Western Carolina with an average of 18.3 points per game, was held scoreless.
“We played better defensively than we had been playing,” Matheny said. “That was a key to the performance. It’s something we talked about a lot. We have not consistently played well enough defensively to expect to win games. The two things we focused on were execute more aggression offensively and have a better team defensive effort. I was pleased we focused on something and executed it.”
The Phoenix had a bit of momentum ending the half, with Troutman swatting a Western Carolina shot and dunking on the ensuing possession. Western Carolina senior guard Brandon Boggs made the final basket of the half, one of his three three-pointers, as the Phoenix was ahead, 35-20.
The Catamounts came out firing in the second half, leading a spirited charge that saw six three-pointers fall en route to cutting the Elon lead to 58-55 at the 6:27 mark. Sumler hit two – his only points of the night – while junior guard James Sinclair knocked down three from long distance. The Phoenix stayed calm, as Samson scored the next six points which began a 16-5 run to end the game.
“At that point we just said keep attacking,” Isenbarger said. “At times, it felt like we were playing to protect the lead rather than to attack and to score. At that point, we just said let’s get going and do what we did in the first half and just attack.”
The win ends a three-game losing skid that began at home against No. 15 University of Massachusetts Jan. 18. In that stretch, the Phoenix was blown out by first-place University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and lost a tight one at Samford University. Troutman described the team’s morale entering this week as “angry.”
“Anger towards ourselves,” Troutman said, “for not playing the way we know how to play, doing the things we know how to do. Coach always talks about the little things. We haven’t been doing the little things. We used that as motivation this week.”
Troutman led the Phoenix with 17 points while corralling 10 rebounds. Samson finished with 15 points, much thanks to four makes from beyond the arc, while senior guard Sebastian Koch had 13 points.
Western Carolina did not take a single free throw on the night, and allowed Elon to shoot 53.1 percent from the field. The Phoenix was also 52.9 percent from three-point range and 56.5 percent from the charity stripe.
Elon gets back to .500 with an 11-11 mark, 4-3 in the SoCon. Next on the slate is a trip across the state to battle Appalachian State University Feb. 1.