ELON, N.C. – Buoyed by bright play from its up-and-coming stars, the Elon University men's basketball team brought home a 79-76 win over East Tennessee State University on Thursday in its home opener. 

Sophomore forward Max Mackinnon, the defending CAA Rookie of the Year, paced the team with 17 points and seven rebounds, dropping in three-of-five from beyond the arc. The Phoenix's shooting was hot, as Elon cashed nine of 19 attempts from distance. LA Pratt, a sophomore guard, made four of his six three-pointers, finishing with 14 points.

The talented sophomore guard duo of Pratt and Mackinnon also shared the team lead for assists with three each. Pratt's 12 points in 11 first-half minutes set a career-high and helped the team to a healthy halftime lead, 39-28.

"I've been in a lot of scripture all week and just been trusting that my time was going to come," Pratt said of his performance. "Obviously, having a lot of ups and downs, but just believing good is going to come."

JUST LIKE THEY DREW IT UP!!

LA Pratt with the buzzer-beating triple and the Phoenix going into the half with an 11-point lead over ETSU!#phoenixrising pic.twitter.com/nVyi2JtHwC

— Elon Men's Basketball (@ElonMBasketball) November 10, 2023

Pratt also spent much of the game matched up with one of ETSU's primary offensive options. The sophomore said it was a challenge he welcomed with open arms.

"Defense is pretty much my thing in general," Pratt said, "So that's pretty much normal. And then the rest took care of itself."

Mackinnon attributed some of his success to off-season preparation, including getting into his ideal shape and improving his gameplan.

"Over the summer, I tried to look into my diet and lose a couple pounds, and I just feel more agile," Mackinnon said. "I've been working and I've tried to get to my spots more, play lower and be more physical which will lead to me getting to my spots."

Compared to a season ago, the Phoenix has a deep bench to rely on for support. 10 players saw double-digit minutes on Thursday with all 10 scoring. 

"I love the fact that we have contributions coming from so many different people," head coach Billy Taylor said. "It's not like you can just gameplan and say, 'Hey, we're just gonna stop this one guy.'"

The Phoenix bench contributed 36 of Elon's 79 points, compared to just four for the visitors. Included in Thursday night's bench-mob was junior forward Sam Sherry, who made his first appearance of the season after previously being restricted by injury.

"It was huge. Sam gives us a post presence," Taylor said of having Sherry back in the rotation. "He hasn't had a lot of practice time under his belt the last few weeks, but we know he'll continue to get better and better."

Sherry finished 2-2 from the floor, including a first-half three that cut into an ETSU lead and a final-minute dunk that put the Phoenix in front for good. He also tallied two of Elon's four blocks in the game.

The Sheriff back on patrol!!

Sherry with the slam to put the Phoenix up six!#phoenixrising pic.twitter.com/fmRWtfcs8E

— Elon Men's Basketball (@ElonMBasketball) November 10, 2023

Sophomore forward Deandre Smart, making his second appearance since an injury cut his freshman season short, was another young highlight player for the Phoenix. In 17 minutes on the floor, he registered 11 points, three boards and a block, while also making three of his four free throws. 

THROW IT DOWN ??

Deandre Smart with the hammer!#phoenixrising pic.twitter.com/VtRc02WeTR

— Elon Men's Basketball (@ElonMBasketball) November 10, 2023

"It's a little different feeling with other young guys because we're all young so we know we're figuring it out together," Pratt said. "It just allows us to trust each other a lot more. We know we're all pretty much in the same position."

The youthful, exuberant Phoenix will travel to Grand Forks, North Dakota for Sunday's game against the Fighting Hawks of the University of North Dakota. Mackinnon, the team's resident Aussie, admitted he isn't entirely sure what to expect.

"[I've] never heard of [North Dakota]," Mackinnon said with a smile. "But it's a good chance to get a road win and build on this, game by game."
 

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'Rising Phoenix' is a new student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department's various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on Twitter (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Jacob Kisamore at jkisamore@elon.edu.

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