ELON, N.C. – A buzzer-beating three-pointer by
Rob Higgins was the difference as the Elon University men's basketball team earned an 82-79 win over Presbyterian on Monday night, Nov. 27, in a nonconference battle at Schar Center.
The Phoenix (4-3) earned its first win over the Blue Hose (5-3) at the Division I level and its first victory over Presbyterian since 1992. Elon's 4-3 start is the program's best in its first seven games since also starting 4-3 during the 2017-18 campaign.
Five players scored in double figures for the Phoenix with
Zac Ervin pacing the squad with his 18 points off the bench while going 4-of-6 from downtown. Higgins and
Nick Dorn were tied for second with 14 points each while
TK Simpkins added 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Max Mackinnon closed out the double-digit scorers for Elon with 11 points.
Jonah Pierce led the Blue Hose with 19 points. Kaleb Scott and Marquis Barnett each had 14 while Samage Teel added 13.
THE RUNDOWN
• The Phoenix started the game with an 8-2 lead within the first two minutes. Mackinnon and Simpkins scored six points during Elon's run before
Nick Dorn added two more points on a jumper.
• The Blue Hose responded with a 6-0 run to tie the game at 8-8 before the media timeout with Pierce scoring four points during that stretch.
• Presbyterian made it a one-point game, 11-10, after a layup at the 14:34 mark in the first half. The Phoenix answered with a 14-2 run over the next three minutes to take its largest lead at that point, 25-12, by the second media timeout with 11:20 left in the period.
• A three-pointer by Ervin at the 10:20 mark gave the Phoenix a 28-12 advantage. Presbyterian came back to trim its deficit to nine, 30-21, after a 9-2 run forcing the Phoenix to call a timeout.
• After the Blue Hose split a pair at the free throw line to make it an eight-point game, 30-22, the Phoenix pushed its lead back to double digits, 34-22, on a pair of free throws by Simpkins and a jumper from Mackinnon.
• Elon took a 13-point lead on a
Sam Sherry jumper in the paint that put the Phoenix ahead 43-30 with 2:55 left in the opening period. The Blue Hose would trim their deficit to single digits before the first half horn as the Phoenix took a 45-37 lead into the break.
• The Phoenix started the second half with an 11-2 run to push its lead to 56-39. Dorn hit three triples during the run as Elon held a 17-point lead with 17:26 left in the game.
• Five straight points from Higgins gave the Phoenix a 19-point lead, 67-48, with 12:27 left in the half. The Blue Hose were able to cut into the Phoenix's advantage with an 11-0 run over the next three minutes to make it an eight-point game, 67-59, after a Kory Mincy jumper.
• Elon was able to push it back to a 10-point game, 72-62, after a layup from
LA Pratt. Presbyterian did not go away as the Blue Hose got as close as six, 72-66, on a pair of baskets with 5:28 left to play.
• Presbyterian cut the Phoenix's lead down to six again, 74-68, but a three from Mackinnon and a layup from Higgins put Elon up nine79-68, with just over two minutes left to play.
• The Blue Hose rallied to tie the game thanks to an 11-0 run in the final two minutes. Presbyterian got the tying basket on a putback by Jonah Pierce on a missed free throw with 3.7 seconds on the clock.
• After a Phoenix timeout, Higgins took the inbound pass and sprinted up the court before freeing himself for a three at the top of the arc. The shot would rattle home just as the buzzer sounded as the Phoenix escaped Presbyterian's rally with the buzzer-beater win.
NOTES
• Elon ended the game shooting 41 percent from the floor (25-of-61) but knocked down 44 percent of its three-pointers (12-of-27). It's the fourth game for the Phoenix with double-digit threes after only having three games total all of last season.
• With his four three-pointers tonight, Ervin is now in sole possession of 12
th on the program's all-time career list in made triples with 173 in his career. He moved past Chris Long '11 on the list.
• The Phoenix's 4-3 start is the team's best through seven games since 2017-18. That team went on to an 8-5 start in its nonconference play.
• Thanks to Ervin, Elon outscored Presbyterian's bench, 26-19. The Phoenix also won the overall rebounding battle, 40-37, and outshot the Blue Hose at the free throw line, hitting 87 percent (20-of-23) compared to just 33 percent for Presbyterian (6-of-18).
• Tonight's game was the 100
th for Higgins in his collegiate career along with his 96
th start. Ervin has played 94 career games for the Phoenix.
UP NEXT
The Phoenix continues its homestand with a visit from NCAA Division III foe Warren Wilson on Thursday, Nov. 30. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will air on FloHoops.
-- ELON --
