DURHAM, N.C. – Playing three games in four days seemed to
have an impact on the Elon men’s basketball team as several lengthy scoring
droughts coupled with the hot hands of Coastal Carolina left the Phoenix on the
losing end of a 69-46 score in the second round of the Dick’s Sporting Goods
NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday night. Elon
dropped to 1-2 on the young season while Coastal Carolina improved to 2-1
overall.
Sophomores Drew Spradlin and Josh Bonney were the lone Elon
players in double figures with 11 points each. Spradlin connected on 5-of-9
from the floor, but Elon as a team struggled to get its shots to go down. The
Phoenix shot 28.3 percent from the floor and knocked down only three of its 18
attempts from beyond the arc.
The Chanticleers had their best shooting output of the
season, hitting on 53.8 percent from the field and scoring 44 of their 69
points in the paint. Coastal’s Joseph Harris led all scorers with 23 points on
11-of-17 shooting. The forward also pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds. The
Chanticleers’ Mario Edwards was 7-of-12 for 20 points in the contest.
Coastal Carolina led from the opening tip and built its lead
to as many as 14 in the game’s first 20 minutes of action. With the score 16-11
midway through the half, Elon did not hit a field goal for five minutes,
managing only two free throws as Coastal increased its advantage to 24-13 at
5:45. The teams traded buckets during the remainder of the half and the
Chanticleers held a 36-25 lead at the break.
The Chanticleers opened the final period on a 20-9 run over
the first nine minutes to amass a 22-point advantage, 56-34. Another six-minute
Elon scoreless stretch allowed Coastal to take its largest lead of the night at
63-34, shutting out any hopes of a Phoenix comeback.
The 46 points were Elon’s lowest scoring total since a 59-44
loss at Georgia Southern on February 16, 2008.
Elon will play two more games in the NIT Season Tip-Off with
the site and opponents to be determined on Wednesday. The games will be played
on Monday and Tuesday, November 23-24.
The Phoenix will look to get back on the winning track when
plays its home opener against Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham on Friday, November
20 at 7 p.m. in Alumni Gym. The game is a double-header with the women’s team
which hosts St. Andrews at 5 p.m.
-- ELON --