For much of the first half and early in the second, Stony Brook seemed to have an answer for every comeback attempt by Elon. The men’s basketball team trailed by double digits for the majority of the game, and despite clawing their way back, it wasn’t enough as Stony Brook held on for a 72-68 win. 

The Phoenix outscored Stony Brook 32-24 in the second half and managed to take the lead on multiple occasions down the stretch, but free throws by Stony Brook made the difference. 

In the beginning of the contest, Stony Brook played a flawless game offensively. They initially jumped out to a 21-12 lead thanks to nine points from graduate forward Andrej Shoshkikj within the first 10 minutes. Elon managed to cut their lead to three thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers from redshirt sophomore guard Ned Hull, but Stony Brook responded by building a 15-point lead with just under two minutes left in the first half. 

The Seawolves’ 3-point shooting was very efficient, as Stony Brook made 56% of their 3’s heading into halftime despite leading scorer Erik Pratt being held to just three points. Graduate guard Ja’Juan Carr said the Phoenix weren’t connected defensively like they should’ve been. He said that other players on Stony Brook made key contributions. 

"There were times where we had two on the ball and that created somebody open,” Carr said. “Pratt was kicking it out more and the other guys stepped up and were in the right spot.”

Elon shot well during the first half, going 50% from the field overall, but struggled to keep up with Stony Brook. Both Shoshkikj and graduate guard Rob Brown III each had 14 first half points, pacing Stony Brook to a 48-36 lead at halftime. 

The Seawolves remained in control during the opening minutes of the second half, leading 54-44 before Elon gradually chipped away at the deficit. It was the Phoenix bench that helped engineer the comeback, as graduate center Bryson Spell had multiple blocked shots and a fastbreak layup. Head coach Billy Taylor said the minutes from players such as Spell and freshman guard DeMarco Johnson were impactful and gave the team some needed energy. 

"It’s big when guys are coming off the bench and can give some extended minutes, while letting the starters get a little bit of a break,” Taylor said. “It doesn't necessarily show a huge number on the stat sheet, but Spell’s activity defensively helped jumpstart our team. Johnson’s effort was really good for us off the bench too with just being active and pushing the ball.”

Elon grinded their way ahead with a 10-0 run to go up 58-57. Defense was the catalyst, as Stony Brook went over eight minutes without making a shot. Graduate forward Chandler Cuthrell said everyone was playing more physical and were making the Seawolves work for their shots. 

“We started playing with more toughness and energy in the second half,” Cuthrell said. “Coach was emphasizing that we have to bring our own personal energy, and I feel like we did that in the second half.”

If Elon wasn’t contesting shot attempts from Stony Brook, they were forcing turnovers. The Phoenix scored 11 points off turnovers in the second half compared to three in the first half. Carr said it helped spark energy on both ends of the floor since they had more opportunities to score in transition. 

Stony Brook would bounce back with a corner three from freshman forward Tomas Valentiny that started a 6-0 run. However, Elon would once again chip back, when free throws from sophomore guard Bryson Cokley gave them a 66-65 lead. 

Both teams then traded baskets. With the game tied at 68, Stony Brook appeared to have been called for an offensive foul, which would’ve given the Phoenix a chance for a go-ahead basket. However, officials reversed the call to a loose ball foul on junior forward Isaac Harrell. Since Elon was in the penalty, sophomore forward Quin Forman got to shoot free throws and converted both of them.

Elon couldn’t tie the game and lost 72-68. Although they held Stony Brook to just 17% shooting in the second half, rebounding was an issue as 9 of the Seawolves’ 24 points came off offensive rebounds. 

Cuthrell acknowledged that was an issue for the Phoenix. He said it was frustrating to not come up with critical rebounds down the stretch. Elon currently ranks 11th in the Coastal Athletic Association for defensive rebounds with 23.8 per game. 

“Offensive rebounds kill us, and we understand that,” Cuthrell said. “It is a little frustrating whenever we don't secure the rebound, because we work on that each and every single day in practice, and just unfortunate we didn't get it.”

Despite the loss, Taylor said he was proud of the team’s resilience with this being the second straight game they’ve battled from a double-digit deficit following their comeback victory Jan. 29 against William & Mary. He said that while big first half deficits can’t happen, both games showed a lot about the team’s character. 

“It says what we've known about this team, and what I really love about this team which is that we have some proud young men,” Taylor said. “We don't want to be in that position when we're down by 15 points late in the first half, but our guys fight back and they never give up.”

The loss drops Elon’s record to 13-10. They are off for four days before traveling to Hampton, Virginia to play Hampton University Feb. 5 at 7 p.m.