ELON, N.C. – Six three-pointers from Zac Ervin and a double-double off the bench for Deandre Smart highlighted the Elon University men's basketball team's 98-68 win over William Peace in its exhibition on Tuesday night, Oct. 31 at Schar Center.
 
Ervin led four players in double figures for the Phoenix with 22 points off the bench while Smart added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Max Mackinnon and TK Simpkins had 12 points each for the maroon and gold, who shot 49.3 percent from the field.
 
The Pacers also had four players in double digits with Timothy Pettiford leading the way with 17 points. Beau Bryant and Tyler Parton each had 13 while Rashun Tomlin added 11.
 
THE RUNDOWN
• Elon took an early 6-5 lead over the Pacers with JaDun Michael scoring five points for the Phoenix capping off with a three-point play at the 17:23 mark. The Pacers however responded with a 5-0 run to take a 10-6 advantage going into the first media timeout.
• The Phoenix answered with an 8-0 run to retake the lead, 14-10, after a Ervin triple with 14:12 left in the first half. A pair of free throws by the Pacers cut Elon's lead to two, but Elon went on a 10-3 run to push its advantage to nine, 24-15, going into the second media timeout.
• Another three-pointer by Ervin at the 11:29 mark gave Elon its largest lead at that point, 27-15. William Peace responded with a 7-0 run to trim its deficit to five, 27-22, but Elon answered with a 13-4 run of its own to take a 40-26 lead after a Mackinnon jumper with 5:12 left in the first half.
• A pull-up three in transition by Ervin gave the Phoenix its largest lead of the period, 50-30, with 2:47 remaining in the half. Elon would match that lead again after a Smart and-one play with 29 seconds left to put the Phoenix up 56-36 before the Pacers made a basket before the horn to make it a 56-38 contest at the break.
• The Phoenix saw its lead continue to expand on another Ervin triple with 16:18 left in the game which put the Phoenix ahead 68-42.
• Elon led by no less than 20 points in the second half as the Phoenix took control of the contest to cruise to the 30-point victory.
 
NOTES
• The Phoenix had five players make their debut in an Elon uniform in the contest in freshmen Kendall Campbell, Nick Dorn and Ned Hull, Simpkins and fifth-year Rob Higgins. Campbell, Dorn and Higgins were in the starting lineup for the Phoenix.
• Hull played 19 minutes off the bench and led the team in assists with six while scoring seven points.
• Thanks to the efforts of Ervin, Smart and Simpkins, the Phoenix outscored the Pacers, 64-26, off the bench.
• The 98 points scored were the most points scored by the Phoenix in an exhibition since defeating Randolph College, 98-45, in 2018.
 
UP NEXT
The 2023-24 regular season begins for the Phoenix at ACC and intrastate foe Wake Forest next Monday, Nov. 6. Game time for that contest is set for 8 p.m.