Both the Elon University men’s basketball team and the William & Mary Tribe fought hard in a pivotal Colonial Athletic Association game on Jan. 27, but in the end, the Phoenix came out on top, winning the contest 61-54.
In the first half, the Tribe and the Phoenix both came out of the gate with intensity. Both started hot with strong shooting and ball movement. After the first five minutes, the Tribe continued to play steady defense but cooled down from the field, whereas Elon maintained its offensive rhythm.
The Phoenix strategically kept perimeter pressure on the Tribe to force them into the paint where they found little success, even forcing a couple shot clock violations.
Sophomore forward Michael Graham led Elon’s offensive charge in the first half with a team-high 10 points. His strong start gave the Phoenix momentum to end the half with the lead, 30-25.
Graham, who put up a career-high 20 points to go along with 12 rebounds, said he continues to become a better player as he gets more experience in the team’s starting lineup.
“I just look at it as how I can help my team in the best way possible,” Graham said. “Double doubles are nice, but ideally it’s not really in the back of my mind. I’m just trying to help the team win.”
Head coach Mike Schrage said he is impressed with Graham’s play in recent games and believes his development has been crucial for the team both offensively and defensively.
“He’s really emerged into something special,” Schrage said.
Check out the post-game press conference below:
Throughout the second half, neither team found much offensive success as both teams shot below 40% from the field and below 30% from behind the arc. Elon stretched its lead to 11 early in the half, but the advantage did not last long.
Defense played a big part in the momentum shift for William & Mary as they began to close the gap with a 10-4 run midway through the second half. Continuing their momentum into the final three minutes, the Tribe brought the game within a possession, leaving Elon up 52-50.
Schrage said he preaches focus and patience to his team when he feels the momentum is shifting and that’s what he told through the team as the Tribe made their way back into the game late.
“We talk about next play, next possession,” Schrage said. “Our offense is going to get there, shots are going to fall. Stay focused and stay confident, we’re going to win this thing on defense.”
The Phoenix continued to feed Graham in the second half as a consistent option on offense, but also got a trio of clutch threes from senior guard Torrence Watson in the final frame. Going into the final minute, Elon maintained a three point lead.
On Elon’s next possession, junior guard Hunter McIntosh nailed a three-point dagger to bring the Phoenix lead to six with only a handful of seconds left. A few empty possessions in the last seconds of the game sealed William & Mary’s fate and the Phoenix took the win.
McIntosh, who finished with 13 points on 4-11 shooting, said he always has confidence he can make clutch shots late in games.
“Regardless of how the game’s going, you kind of believe the next one is going in,” McIntosh said.
This win improves Elon’s conference record to 3-5. The two teams will square off again on Jan. 29 in Williamsburg, Virginia. The game is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
“We know it’s going to be tough to turn around and play the same team Saturday, but we’re excited for the opportunity,” Schrage said.