Box Score

ELON, N.C. – The Appalachian State Mountaineers managed to overcome a first-half deficit with a late rally to hand the host Elon Phoenix a 68-62 loss in Southern Conference men’s basketball action in front of a capacity crowd at Alumni Gym on Saturday night.

The lead changed hands five times over the final six minutes of the contest, with ASU (10-13, 6-7) taking the advantage for the final time when Mitch Woods hit his lone shot of the night, a three-pointer with 3:07 to play. Elon (10-14, 4-9) would close the gap to one on two occasions before the final horn, but was unable to pull back on top as ASU free throws sealed the deal.

“We got off to a great start and there was tremendous electricity in the building,” Elon head coach Matt Matheny stated. “It is becoming an event to come to Elon basketball games. Around town, people are talking about us because of our players. We have a great group of guys and we continue to improve but we have not put it all together yet. This was a far superior performance to Wednesday and when this team is hitting on all cylinders, we will be a dangerous team come March.”

Rookie Lucas Troutman led Elon for the second straight game, coming off the bench for 19 points, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals. His three swatted shots gave him 35 on the year and moved him into 10th place on Elon’s single-season list. Veteran guard Chris Long was the only other Phoenix in double figures with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting. He added eight assists, moving him into 10th place in a single season with 137.

The visitors had four players in double figures, getting 17 points and 10 rebounds from Omar Carter. One of the top scorers in the SoCon, Donald Sims was limited to 4-of-16 from the field but his nine free throws helped him to 17 points. The guard went over 2,000 points for his career with a layup early in the contest.

It was a tightly called second half and both teams made numerous trips to the free throw line. A Ryley Beaumont jumper put Elon up 46-40 with 12:34 on the clock, but Elon would not connect again from the field over the next seven minutes. While the Phoenix was successful at the stripe, a Sims jumper capped a 14-4 ASU run that gave the Mountaineers a 55-52 advantage with 5:31 remaining.

Troutman answered for Elon out of a timeout to end the drought and Long forced a turnover on the next ASU possession and pulled up for a jumper that put Elon back on top, 56-55, at 4:09. Andre Williamson completed an old-fashioned three-point play on Appalachian’s next possession, but a Long trey put Elon back in the driver’s seat, 59-58, with 3:26 to go.

Woods answered with the long ball and Elon managed only 1-of-2 from the line on its next trip down the floor. The teams traded buckets before a Carter shot hit all parts of the rim prior to dropping in to give ASU a 65-62 lead with 33 ticks on the clock. Long’s game-tying three-point attempt went off the back of the rim and Mountaineer freebies finished the contest.

Elon made only seven baskets in the final half, shooting 30 percent from the field compared to a 50 percent performance by App. ASU was also the aggressor on the glass in the final half, finishing with a 40-30 rebounding advantage for the game. The Phoenix struggled from beyond the arc for the second straight game, managing only 5-of-19 from long range.

Elon started the first half strong for the first time in several games, connecting on 6-of-7 from the field to take a 14-6 lead with 15:25 on the clock. The Mountaineers’ Carter scored his squad’s first eight points and his fourth bucket of the night jumpstarted a 20-6 visitor run that spanned nearly nine minutes. Elon went over four minutes without a bucket during the ASU run that gave the Mountaineers a 26-20 advantage with 6:08 to go in the half.

A Jack Isenbarger three-pointer gave Elon life as Phoenix freshmen scored 14 of the team’s final 16 points of the half. Elon outscored the Mountaineers 16-4 over the final five and half minutes and took a 36-30 lead after 20 minutes of action.

Troutman contributed 10 points, five boards, two blocks and two steals in the first period. The rookie sparked the Phoenix faithful with several dunks that moved the crowd to its feet. Elon shot 47 percent in the opening half and outrebounded ASU, 21-18.

Elon will look to snap a four-game losing stretch when it hosts South Division leader College of Charleston on Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. The game has been deemed a White Out and all Phoenix fans are encouraged to wear white to support the squad.