| Elon Phoenix (11-7, 3-2 CAA) vs. Col. of Charleston Cougars (12-5, 3-2 CAA) |
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ELON, N.C. – Elon University men's basketball completes its third week of conference play inside Alumni Gym on Saturday night, Jan. 13, facing CAA preseason favorite College of Charleston on College Sports Live's "Game of the Week" at 7 p.m.
COVERAGE
Watch the Phoenix in action against the Cougars on College Sports Live with Jeff McCarragher and Mack McCarthy on the call. You can listen to the Elon IMG Sports Network broadcast of the game on WSJS 104.5 FM and 1200 AM as
Taylor Durham and Brian Morris will call the action with the pregame show starting at 6:30 p.m.
FREE T-SHIRTS
Elon University students can pick up a FREE t-shirt! All students in attendance will receive a FREE maroon t-shirt. Supply is limited, so arrive early! Doors open at 6 p.m.
BAG POLICY AT ALUMNI GYM
Elon University has implemented a policy for bags entering Alumni Gym. All bags entering the arena will be checked before fans reach the ticket booths at the facility. Multiple lines will be available and there will be specific lines for fans entering with no bags.
The following items will be prohibited from Alumni Gym:
• Weapons
• Explosives
* Alcoholic beverages
• Outside food and beverages
• Smoking and tobacco products
• E-cigarettes
• Containers or coolers
• Flags on poles
• Hoverboards
• Pets (except service animals)
BASKETBALL GAME DAY
For more information on ticketing, parking and directions to Alumni Gym, please visit the
Basketball Game Day web page.
THE SERIES
• Saturday's game against College of Charleston will be the 25th all-time meeting and the second time the teams have gone head-to-head this season. Elon has only won one of the last five contests against the Cougars.
• The Cougars swept the season series last season, earning a 66-54 win in Alumni Gym on Dec. 31, 2016 and defeating the Phoenix 71-58 at TD Arena on Feb. 4, 2017. Both teams were Southern Conference rivals from 2003-2013.
• Elon's last win against the Cougars came in Charleston, S.C., as
Dainan Swoope hit a game-winning triple for the 65-64 win on Jan. 16, 2016. The last time the Phoenix won against College of Charleston at home was on Feb. 2, 2012, when Elon prevailed in a 99-98 double overtime win inside Alumni Gym.
FINAL SEASON OF ALUMNI GYM
• The 2017-18 season marks the 67th and final year of competition inside historic Alumni Gym as the program is set to relocate to the Schar Center for the 2018-19 campaign. The arena opened its doors in 1950.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
• Elon has a 6-1 record overall record at home in its final season inside Alumni Gym.
• Since the 2011-12 season, Elon has a 65-29 record (31-8 vs. non-conference teams) inside Alumni Gym. Elon has sold out Alumni Gym 20 times under head coach
Matt Matheny, with its most recent sellout coming on Jan. 11, 2018. Matheny is 13-7 all-time in front of sellout crowds in Alumni Gym.
A LOOK AT ELON
• The Phoenix has a 11-7 record overall and owns a 3-2 mark in CAA action after suffering an 80-78 overtime loss to UNCW on Thursday night.
•
Tyler Seibring has been solid in his first five conference games, averaging 19 points and 8.2 rebounds. He is also shooting 59% from the floor and 53.1% from three.
• Meanwhile, Thompson is also having a good start to conference play, averaging 14.6 points and 4.2 rebounds, and shooting a perfect 15-15 from the free throw line.
• Seibring and Thompson each scored their 1,000th career point on Jan. 7 in a win at Hofstra.
• Elon is averaging 74.7 ppg and allowing 73.2 ppg thus far through 18 games. The team has only been held to under 70 points 5 times and under 60 points just twice this season.
• Offensively, Elon ranks 2nd in the CAA averaging 10.9 made three-pointers. Elon also is 2nd in the league averaging with 15.9 assists per contest.
• The Phoenix continues to improve defensively, allowing teams to shoot 41.8% from the floor which ranks 2nd in the CAA behind Towson. Elon is also 1st in the league in defensive rebounds, averaging 29.3 per game.
• Elon is 2nd in NCAA Division I in fouls committed per game. The Phoenix averages just 13.4 personal fouls per game.
•
Tyler Seibring is currently Elon's leading scorer at 13.9 ppg, Seibring is alsso 10th in the league averaging a team-best 6.4 rpg, while
Dainan Swoope is 5th in the CAA with 3.7 apg.
• Eberhardt has the 4th-best assist/turnover ratio in the CAA with a 2.1 ratio with 57 assists to 27 turnovers.
• Elon completed its non-conference schedule with eight or more wins for the 4th straight year.
• The Phoenix returned all five starters and its top five scorers from a team that finished 18-14 overall and placed tied for fourth in the CAA with a 10-8 mark in 2016-17.
• Four of the five starters averaged double-figure scoring last season, led by 2016-17 All-CAA Second Team forward
Tyler Seibring, who averaged a team-high 14.4 ppg.
• Dawkins, Thompson,
Jack Anton,
Jack George and
Collin Luther make up this year's senior class.
• Elon also made three additions this past offseason, bringing in freshman guard Nathan Priddy and forwards
Simon Wright and
Duje Radja into the fold.
JOINING THE 1,000-POINT CLUB
•
Dmitri Thompson and
Tyler Seibring each joined the 1,000-point club on Sunday, Jan. 7, at Hofstra.
• Seibring was the first to join, becoming the 40th player overall and the 11th junior to reach the mark.
• Thompson followed becoming the 41st player in 109 seasons of Elon basketball to reach 1,000 career points.
•
Dainan Swoope is the next in line to reach the mark. He has 910 career points, just 90 away.
Brian Dawkins follows with 820 career points and needs 180 to join the club.
IT'S ALL ABOUT BALANCE
• All five of Elon's starters are averaging doubles figures through 18 games this season. Seibring leads the way with 13.9 ppg, while Swoope is second averaging 13.6 ppg.
• Rounding out the top scorers are
Brian Dawkins (11.7 ppg
Dmitri Thompson (11.6 ppg) and
Steven Santa Ana (10.2 ppg).
• Elon has had 7 different players finish in double figures this season and 6 have led their team in scoring during games.
• The Phoenix has had at least three players finish in double-figures in 13 games this season. The only 4 times this season Elon had less in a game was two against Radford (11/22), at UNCG (12/7) and at Northeastern (1/5) and one at Canisius (12/17).
SWOOPE THERE IT IS
•
Dainan Swoope has shown growth and improvement on the scoring end his junior campaign, averaging 13.6 ppg this season in comparison to his 11.7 ppg last season. Swoope has scored in double figures 13 times thus far and is currently 17th in the CAA in scoring.
• The junior point guard makes 82.8% of his shots from the free throw line, which is 8th in the CAA, and he is 5th in the league with 45 made three-pointers.
• Swoope is also 5th in the CAA in assists averaging 3.7 dimes per game this season. He ranks 8th in minutes per game 34.1.
• The junior finished the non-conference portion of the schedule averaging 14.7 ppg and shot 85.1% from the free throw line.
• Before suffering an ankle injury in the second half at UNCG, Swoope was averaging 17.1 ppg in the first nine contests.
• He had 20+ points in four straight games from Nov. 17-22 and averaged 23.8 ppg during that span.
PROVIDING A SPARK
•
Sheldon Eberhardt has made an impact off the bench, scoring in double-figures three times this season for the Phoenix.
• He posted a career-high 10 assists in Elon's victory over Saint Peter's, which was the first time an Elon player had 10 or more assists in a game since
Chris Long had 10 on Feb. 19, 2011 against UNCG.
• Eberhardt is currently averaging 6.1 points and 3.4 assists per contest. He also has one of the highest shooting percentages on the team at 51.2%.
LET IT FLY
• The Phoenix is 2nd in the CAA and 15th in the NCAA with 10.9 three-pointers made per game.
• Elon's 196 total three-pointers this season ranks 1st in the CAA and 10th in the NCAA.
• The maroon and gold also ranks first in the league with 549 three-point attempts, which ranks 8th nationally.
375 AND COUNTING
• The Elon program has made at least one three-point field goal in 375 consecutive games (not including exhibition games). The matchup on Feb. 4, 2017 at College of Charleston marked the 350th consective game.
• The last time Elon did not make a three in a game was Jan. 30, 2006, at Georgia Southern when the team went 0-of-14 from deep.
SCOUTING CHARLESTON
• The Cougars enter the game with a 12-5 mark overall and are 3-2 in CAA action after earning an 82-66 victory over Northeastern on Thursday.
• The team is one of the best in the league defensively, leading the CAA in scoring defense (66.0) and rank third in field goal percentage defense (.424).
• 2017-18 CAA Preseason Player of the Year Joe Chealey leads the team in scoring (17.9 ppg) and assists (4.2 apg). His scoring is ranked 5th in the CAA and he is 4th in the league in assists. Chealey also ranks 2nd in the league in assist to turnover ratio (2.4) with 71 assists to 30 turnovers.
• Chealey (1st team), Jarrell Brantley (1st team) and Grant Riller (2nd team) all earned Preseason All-CAA recognition.
• College of Charleston is home to three of the Top-10 active CAA career scoring leaders in Joe Chealey (1,518 career points to date), senior Cameron Johnson (987) and junior Jarrell Brantley (983). Johnson is 13 points and Brantley 17 points shy of joining the 1,000 Career-Point Club. They would become only the 35th and 36th all-time players (NCAA Division I and NAIA) in school history to do so.
UP NEXT
The Phoenix hits the road to begin week four of CAA action with a trip to James Madison on Thursday, Jan. 18, to face the Dukes at 7 p.m.
-- ELON --
