ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team had a tough second half offensively as the Phoenix fell to Radford, 69-53, on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 27, at Schar Center.
 
Sean Halloran led the Phoenix (1-6) with 15 points while going 4-of-7 from behind the arc. Sam Sherry had career highs in points (13) and rebounds (seven) for the Phoenix while adding a pair of assists to his stat line. Torrence Watson was the lone other player for the maroon and gold in double figures with 10 points.
 
Radford's Josiah Jeffers had a game-high 17 points to lead the Highlanders (4-3) while dishing out six assists. DaQuan Smith added 11 points for Radford while Shaquan Jules nearly had a double-double with eight points and eight rebounds.

THE RUNDOWN
• The Phoenix jumped out to an 11-2 lead within the first four minutes of the game. Sam Sherry scored the first four points of the run before a pair of free throws by Max Mackinnon and a three-pointer from Sean Halloran forced a Radford timeout.
• Radford came back with a 6-0 run to cut its deficit to three, 11-8, but the Phoenix answered with a pair of baskets by Zac Ervin and John Bowen III to put the lead up to seven, 15-8. A three-pointer from the Highlanders' Ibu Yamazaki made it a four-point game, 15-11, by the under-12 media timeout.
• The Highlanders kept within five points of the Phoenix over the next three minutes, holding Elon to one field goal during that time frame. A putback dunk from Radford's Shaquan Jules brought the Highlanders within one, 17-16, with 7:13 left in the first half.
• A three-point play from Sherry gave the Phoenix a four-point cushion at the 5:34 mark, but Jules answered with a basket to make it a one-possession game, 20-18. Elon would go ahead 26-20 thanks to a pair of three-pointers from Ervin and Halloran, but Radford took its first lead of the half on a 7-0 run capped off on a steal and layup by Bryan Antoine with 1:10 left in the opening period.
• Torrence Watson came back with a three to put the Phoenix back in front, 29-27, with under a minute left before the first half horn, but Radford countered with a last-second trey from Daquan Smith to go into the break ahead 30-29.
• Radford opened the second half ahead 34-29, but Elon came back with a 5-0 run to tie the contest at 34-all on a basket from Sherry and a three from Halloran. A pair of free throws from Watson tied the contest at 36-36, but Radford went on a 6-0 run to force an Elon timeout with 15:19 left in the game.
• The Highlanders took its largest lead of the game, 45-36, on a three-point make from Kenyon Giles with 12:59 left in the half. Four quick points from Mackinnon brought Elon's deficit to five, 45-40, at the 12:25 mark. Radford however countered with a 10-0 run over the next three minutes to push its lead to 15, 55-40, forcing another Elon timeout at the 9:37 mark.
• Mackinnon added a layup after the timeout to bring Elon within 13, but that would be as close as the Phoenix would get as Radford kept control of the game for the final nine minutes to move on to the 69-53 victory.
  NOTES
• Sherry's career highs surpassed his previous personal bests in points (nine) and rebounds (five). The Mechanicsburg, Pa., native was 5-of-9 overall from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 from the charity stripe.
• Both teams struggled offensively in the first half with Radford shooting 40 percent (12-of-30) and Elon 34.5 percent (10-of-29). Both programs were a combined 7-of-27 from three-point range after the opening period.
• Elon and Radford met for the first time since 2017 when the Phoenix took a 77-74 victory over the Highlanders at Alumni Gym. Today's win moved the all-time series to 9-5 in favor of Radford.
• Overall, Elon shot 19-of-60 for the game and 7-of-28 total from three-point land. The Highlanders ended the game at 44 percent overall from the field (26-of-59) aided by a 14-of-29 performance in the second half.
• Halloran made four three pointers for the second time this season. The Orlando, Fla., native has had multiple three-point outings in four out of his seven games this year including four of the past five.
 
UP NEXT
Elon travels to fellow Piedmont Triad rival High Point on Wednesday, Nov. 30. That contest is set for a 7 p.m. tipoff.