Going into its final four games of the season, the Elon men’s basketball team is looking to shake off a late-season skid and capitalize off a massive road win over the University of North Carolina, Wilmington and enter the conference tournament strong.
The team has entered a rough patch as of late, losing six of its last nine games, including a recent three game losing streak. The streak was just broken with a monumental bounce-back win over UNCW, the second ranked team in the Coastal Athletic Association. Elon has had one of its best seasons in many years, winning 16 games — the most since the 2015-16 season. Its seven conference wins is also tied for the second most in school history. Elon is currently ranked sixth out of 14 in the CAA standings.
The peak of the team’s recent struggles was found in its 1-point loss to North Carolina A&T on Feb. 13. The Aggies entered the game with zero conference wins and have a 5-22 record. However, passive play and a number of turnovers allowed the Aggies to upset the Phoenix. At one point, Elon held a 10-point lead, but A&T stormed back in the second half. Head coach Billy Taylor said he was disappointed in the team’s performance.
“We’ve got to learn from these kinds of moments, these opportunities,” Taylor said in the postgame press conference. “We got passive against their changing defense. We didn’t attack the paint. We didn’t play with any force around the rim, we only had 24 points in the paint tonight.”
A key factor in the loss was the absence of the team’s leading scorer in points per game this season, sophomore Nick Dorn. Dorn was out due to a lower extremity injury and is out indefinitely with no timetable to return, according to a statement by Elon Athletics. Lower extremity injuries refer to a range of conditions that affects the muscles, bones, joints and connective tissues of the lower limb, which includes the hips, thighs, knees, ankles and feet. The loss could be devastating for the Phoenix if it enters the conference tournament without Dorn.
Redshirt sophomore Andrew King said after the A&T game that team members will have to improve their game and step up in Dorn’s absence. The team’s presence from beyond the arc will be significantly impacted as Dorn makes up for 35% of the team’s 3-pointers. Taylor said after the game that it was hard for the team to adjust to Dorn’s absence.
“It’s a tough time of the year, but they’re trying to figure themselves out,” Taylor said. “Obviously we’re playing a little bit different now without our leading scorer. So we’re figuring it out.”
King said he was frustrated with the result against A&T and believes he needs to step up as a leader for the Phoenix in order for the team to see success the rest of the season.
“We know we should have won. We are just hurting from that,” King said after the game. “We need to figure out how to get over the hump.”
The Phoenix bounced back after the loss with a 81-70 victory on the road against UNCW. Elon’s win over UNCW was an unexpected victory as it broke the Seahawks’ nine-game win streak. Junior TK Simpkins stepped up in Dorn’s absence, scoring 32 points — the most by a single player this season. He made 8 3-pointers, the second highest total in a game in school history.
The game was a massive, much needed-win for the Phoenix, and the team will hope to carry on the momentum in the final stretch of the regular season. Elon’s final two home games will be against some of the best teams in the conference. On Feb. 20, Elon will face Towson, which is ranked first in the conference standings.
Towson boasts a 13-1 conference record, with a 12 game win streak. Tyler Tejada spearheads the team, averaging a team-high 16.4 points per game along with 37 3-pointers on the season. Despite Towson’s impressive record, it won’t be easy for the Tigers. It will be a fiercely competitive game between Elon and Towson as they are almost mirror images of each other statistically. Elon holds its opponents to 68.5 points per game, whereas Towson allows 65.3 points per game. Both teams make about 25 field goals per game, but Elon outperforms the Tigers in rebounds with an average of 40.7 per game compared to Towson’s 37.
Two days after the juggernaut matchup against Towson, Elon will have its final home game of the season and play William & Mary, who is tied for third in the CAA. The Tribe will be another tough match for the Phoenix. William & Mary has a strong offensive presence averaging 78.5 points per game compared to Elon’s 74.1.
A key to Elon’s success this season has been its physicality. Elon currently averages more rebounds per game and has a whopping 112 blocks on the season, compared to the Tribe’s meager 45 blocks. If the Phoenix is able to get physical in the paint and secure rebounds, it might be able to withstand William & Mary’s offense. An important contributor to this physicality will have to be graduate student Matthew Van Komen. The 7-foot4-inch center is coming off an impressive performance at UNCW where he amassed five blocks and seven rebounds.
Elon previously played William & Mary on the road in January but lost 78-65. Elon had a 1-point lead going into the second half but could not withstand the offensive force of the Tribe in the second half.
After its final two home games, Elon will go on the road and close out its season against Monmouth and Stony Brook before heading to Washington, D.C., on March 7 for the CAA Championship Tournament and fight for a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Taylor said after the game against North Carolina A&T that he believes guys will step up down the stretch.
“We’ll keep working it, and we’ll stay positive,” Taylor said. “So we’ve got some guys that can step up for us.”
If you go:
Thursday, Feb. 20:
Elon vs. Towson
7 p.m. | Schar Center
Saturday, Feb. 22
Elon vs. William & Mary
7 p.m. | Schar Center
Tickets can be purchased at elontickets.com. Student and Elon staff tickets are free.