NEWARK, Del. – The Elon University men's basketball team closed out its 2022 calendar year and its five-game road swing with a 57-52 setback at Delaware on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 31, in a Colonial Athletic Association contest at the Bob Carpenter Center.
 
The Phoenix's Zac Ervin had 18 points to lead all scorers in the game as the Gate City, Va., native was 6-of-12 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Sean Halloran was the other player in double figures for Elon (2-13, 0-2 CAA) with 16 points.
 
Delaware (9-6, 1-1 CAA) had four players score in double digits with Jameer Nelson Jr. pacing the squad with 15 points. Christian Ray had 14 points for the Blue Hens with Jyáre Davis (12) and LJ Owens rounding out the double-figure scorers for Delaware.
 
THE RUNDOWN
• The Phoenix came out with a 7-0 lead to start the game. Halloran made a triple and a couple of free throws while Max Mackinnon added a jump hook as the Phoenix headed into the under-16 media timeout with the lead.
• The Blue Hens came back with a 15-0 run over the next 3:50 to take the lead. Delaware capped the run with an Owens three-pointer at the 11:42 mark to force an Elon timeout.
• Delaware took a 17-9 lead on a layup from Ray, but the Phoenix countered with a 12-2 run to retake the lead. Ervin leveled the game on a tough layup at the 8:09 mark before putting the Phoenix in front on a three-pointer just over a minute later, 20-19. A JaDun Michael free throw put the Phoenix up two, 21-19.
• Davis tied the game at 21, but a LA Pratt three-pointer put the Phoenix back in front, 24-21, going into the under-four media timeout in the first half. Delaware however ended the half on a 10-2 run to go into the locker room with a 31-26 lead.
• Elon started off the second half with an 8-0 run to retake the lead after a pair of Sam Sherry layups put the Phoenix ahead 34-31. The Phoenix pushed its lead to 38-34 after a Michael jumper, but the Blue Hens came back with an 11-0 run to go in front, 45-38, on a three-pointer by Owens with 8:45 left in the game.
• Delaware expanded its lead to 48-39 after a pair of free throws from Nelson Jr., but a 7-0 run by the Phoenix cut its deficit back to two, 48-46. Ervin was the main catalyst during the run, scoring five points in that stretch.
• The Blue Hens held a 52-47 advantage with 3:31 left, but the Phoenix made it a one-possession game after a three-pointer by Halloran cut the score to 52-50. Delaware expanded its lead to three, 53-50, after splitting a pair of free throws with 38 seconds left that gave the Phoenix a chance to tie the game.
• Elon however had a turnover on the following possession to give the ball back to the Blue Hens. Delaware made its free throws down the stretch to escape with the 57-52 win.
 
NOTES
• Halloran tied Sherry for the team-lead in rebounds with eight, setting a new career-high for the Orlando, Fla., native. He also had three steals to his stat line, his eighth game with three or more thefts this season.
• Elon's five-game road trip was its longest since enduring a four-game stretch in December of 2017. The Phoenix started that trip at Piedmont Triad rival UNCG before traveling to Boston College, Canisius and Indiana State.
• Torrence Watson returned for the Phoenix after missing the previous three games due to injury. The St. Louis native played 11 minutes in the contest.
• The win was the seventh straight for the Blue Hens over the Phoenix and the 10^th out of the past 11 meetings.
• Sherry tied his career-high with a pair of blocks in the game. The Mechanicsburg, Pa., native had eight points in the game for the Phoenix.
 
UP NEXT
The Phoenix returns to the home confines of Schar Center on Wednesday, Jan. 4 to jump-start the new calendar year versus UNCW. That contest is set for 7 p.m.