Box Score

ELON, N.C. – Chants of ‘MVP’ rang from Elon’s packed house and a sold-out crowd saw senior point guard Chris Long drop a career-high 30 points to lead the Phoenix men’s basketball team to a 99-90 victory over UNC Greensboro in a Southern Conference showdown on Senior Night. Ranked second all-time at Elon in career assists, Long added to his totals with 10 helpers for the third double-double of his career. Long drained five of Elon’s (12-15, 6-10) 16 three-pointers on the night as the Phoenix ended the year in Alumni Gym on a high note. UNC Greensboro dropped to 5-12 overall, 5-10 in the league.

The Elon senior wasn’t the only Phoenix to post career numbers as rookie Sebastian Koch knocked down six triples for a personal-best 23 points. The freshman was one of five Elon players in double figures, scoring 17 points in the opening 20 minutes to help Elon to a 15-point halftime advantage.

Elon got 52 points from its bench with freshman big man Lucas Troutman netting 12 points and sophomore Brett Ervin adding 11. Junior Terrance Birdette also contributed 10 points in the victory.

Brandon Evans came off the bench for 26 points to lead four Spartans in double figures.

The Phoenix’s first two buckets came from beyond the arc, an omen of what the rest of the night would look like. Both teams shot 50 percent for the game, but Elon had the hot hand from long range, netting 16-of-34 treys. At one point in the second half, 14 of the Phoenix’s 20 made buckets were from beyond the arc.

UNCG was quick out of the gates in the final period, scoring six points in the opening minute to take Elon’s lead under 10, 46-37, with 19:13 on the clock. Koch answered the call with a trey and started a 17-6 run capped by back-to-back Long bombs that made it a 20-point game, 63-43, at the 13:39 mark.

Elon’s cross county rival wasn’t about to go away without a fight and the stingy Spartans’ defense capitalized on five Phoenix turnovers and used a 22-7 run to claw back within five, 70-65, with just over eight minutes to play.

Birdette drove baseline on the next Elon possession and converted on an old-fashioned three-point play to bring life back to the Phoenix crowd. After the teams traded points on the ensuing possessions, Long and Troutman brought the fans to their feet as the point guard found his big man for a dunk off an inbounds pass to make it 77-67 in Elon’s favor with 6:38 to go.

Elon’s lead would grow to as many as 12 as Ervin gave Long his 10th assist of the evening on a triple with 4:26 remaining, putting the Phoenix on top, 84-72. Phoenix free throws discounted some late turnovers and UNCG would get no closer than six before the final horn.

A solid first-half performance with a strong shooting performance gave Elon a double-figure halftime advantage for the second straight game. The Phoenix closed the half on a 19-9 run to take a 46-31 lead into the locker room. Elon shot 45 percent from the field while holding the Spartans to 37.9 percent shooting. The Phoenix also rained nine three-pointers during those opening 20 minutes.

The 99 points are the most against a SoCon opponent since Elon netted 112 points in a triple overtime win against UNC Greensboro on Feb. 28, 2004. The Phoenix has never scored that many points in a regulation Southern Conference contest.

Elon will try for its third straight win when it travels to Davidson to face the Wildcats on Thursday, Feb. 24. Tip is schedule for 7 p.m. in Belk Arena.