ELON, N.C. – A furious second-half rally by the Elon University men's basketball team nearly helped the Phoenix overcome a 10-point halftime deficit, but UNCG was able to hold off the maroon and gold to earn a 65-61 victory on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 3, at Schar Center.
 
Sean Halloran matched his season-high with 21 points – all in the second half – to lead the Phoenix (1-8). Zac Ervin also had a new season-high point total with 18 points off the bench while knocking down 4-of-6 from three.
 
The Spartans (4-5) were led by Mikeal Brown-Jones' 20 points off the bench as the forward went 9-of-14 from the field. Keyshaun Langley had 15 to round out the double-digit scorers for UNCG.
 
THE RUNDOWN
• The Phoenix and the Spartans traded baskets back and forth during the first four minutes. Baskets by Sam Sherry and Max Mackinnon gave Elon a 4-3 lead, but the Spartans' Dante Treacy put UNCG in front, 5-4, by the first media timeout.
• Another bucket by Sherry put Elon back in front after the timeout, but UNCG went on an 11-0 run over the next four minutes to take a double-digit lead, 18-6. A Sherry free throw and a three-pointer from Ervin brought the Phoenix within eight, 18-10, with just under 10 minutes left in the opening half.
• UNCG put its lead back to 12 after a pair of jump shots by Brown-Jones before the under-eight minute media timeout. Another Sherry free throw along with a putback from John Bowen III brought Elon's deficit back to single digits, 24-15, but the Spartans' Jalen Breath put UNCG ahead by 11, 26-15, before the final media timeout of the half.
• Elon proceeded to go on an 8-2 run to pull back within five. Ervin had half of that total including a jumper with 1:25 left in the first half to make the score 28-23. UNCG however ended the period on a 5-0 run to take a 10-point cushion into the locker room, 33-23.
• The Spartans had a 10-point advantage after a dunk by Brown-Jones with 16:17 left in the game, but Elon battled back to cut the lead in half. Halloran knocked down his second jumper of the contest and found LA Pratt for a three-pointer on the next possession as the Phoenix trailed 37-32 at the 14:42 mark.
• UNCG and Elon traded baskets over the next minute before Ervin knocked down his second three-pointer to bring Elon within four, 41-37, with 12:29 left in the half. UNCG countered with a three of its own, but Halloran responded with a triple to pull Elon back within four, 44-40, with 11:40 left in the game.
• The Spartans went back ahead by seven, 47-40, by the under-12 media timeout. UNCG expanded its lead to 11 before a jumper from RJ Noord brought Elon back under single digits, 51-42, by the under-eight media timeout.
• Noord's jumper sparked a 9-0 run capped off by a layup from Halloran that brought Elon within two, 51-49. UNCG was able to extend to a six-point lead after a layup from Treacy with 4:28 left in the game, but the Phoenix responded with a 7-2 run to make it a one-point game, 59-58, after a Sherry free throw with just over a minute remaining in the game.
• The Spartans came back with a dagger three-pointer with the shot clock running down by Keyshaun Langley with 35 seconds left in the game to put UNCG ahead by four, 62-58. After a Phoenix missed three-pointer on the other end, Langley knocked down two free throws to put UNCG up six, 64-58, with 17 seconds left in the game.
• After Halloran added two free throws to keep the Phoenix in it, UNCG missed the first end of a one-and-one to give the ball back to Elon down four, 64-60. Halloran drew another foul and split a pair at the line to make it a one-possession game with 10 seconds left to go.
• Langley was fouled to extend the game and missed the first of two free throws to give the Phoenix hope for a tie on a second miss. The senior however knocked down the second attempt from the charity stripe to ice the game as UNCG escaped with the 65-61 win.
 
NOTES
• The Phoenix fell to 26-18 all-time versus its longtime Triad rival with the Spartans winning the past five games.
• After playing just 11 minutes in the opening half due to foul trouble and going 0-for-2, Halloran went 7-of-12 while playing all but three seconds in the second half. The Orlando, Fla., native also had five rebounds and five assists while going 5-of-6 from the free throw line.
• Ervin had his best shooting performance of the season so far with the senior going 6-of-11 from the floor. His four treys tied his season-best total from Jacksonville State on Nov. 22 where he scored his previous season-high point total of 16.
• Elon used a starting lineup combo of Halloran, Sherry, Mackinnon, Pratt and John Bowen III – its first different starting lineup in four games. Pratt made his first collegiate start with the Columbus, Ohio, native playing 26 minutes.
• Bowen III started his fourth game of the year and his first since Nov. 17 versus North Dakota. The Bladenboro, N.C., native led the Phoenix with nine rebounds in 26 minutes from the floor.
• The Phoenix held the Spartans to only 25 percent from three (5-of-20). It was the fourth time this season Elon has held an opponent to less than 30 percent from downtown as the Phoenix currently ranks second in the Colonial Athletic Association in opponent three-point percentage at .318 percent.
 
UP NEXT
The Phoenix will have over a week off hiatus for final exams before returning to the court to host Johnson & Wales (N.C.) on Sunday, Dec. 11. Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m.