ELON, N.C. –  The Elon University men's basketball team eclipsed 100 points for the second time this season as the Phoenix defeated Bridgewater, 104-70, on Friday night, Dec. 15, to stay unbeaten on its home floor at Schar Center.
 
The Phoenix (6-5) improved to 4-0 at home this year while scoring 100 points or more twice in a season for the first time since 2016-17. Nick Dorn led four Elon players in double figures with his season-high 25 points off the bench. Max Mackinnon also had a 20-point outing for the Phoenix while Sam Sherry and TK Simpkins contributed with 14 and 13 points, respectively.
 
The Eagles had three players reach double figures as Aaron Oates led Bridgewater with 13 points. Woody Machado and Steve Burgess added 11 points for the Eagles, as the contest counted as an exhibition for the NCAA Division III member.
 
THE RUNDOWN
• The contest was tightly contested through the first four minutes of the game as Elon and Bridgewater were tied at nine-all after Mackinnon converted on an and-one at the 16:37 mark in the opening half.
• A three-pointer made by Burgess gave the Eagles a 12-11 lead, but Elon quickly erased that deficit on a three-pointer by Dorn and a layup by Kendall Campbell to put the Phoenix in front by four, 16-12.
• An Oates layup pulled the Eagles within two, 16-14, with 14:37 left in the first half, but the Phoenix responded with a 17-3 run over the next four minutes to expand its lead to 33-17 after a layup from Sherry.
• Elon held an 18-point advantage, 43-25, after a Mackinnon layup with 7:42 left in the opening period. Bridgewater however trimmed into the Phoenix's lead with an 8-0 run capped off by a pair of three-pointers by Machado that made it a 10-point game, 43-33, with just over six minutes remaining in the first half.
• The Phoenix would close out the half on a tear as Elon went on a 23-4 run over the next five-plus minutes to regain control of the contest. Elon would lead by as many as 31 points before going into the locker room and a 66-37 cushion.
• Elon would not see its lead fall below 29 points in the second half and grew to as much as 40 points, 90-50, at the 9:28 mark on a layup from Sherry. The Phoenix reached the 100-point mark on a layup by Austin Williams with 5:05 left in the game. Both teams would play out the waning minutes before settling on the 104-70 final score.
 
NOTES
• Elon scored 100 points for the 16^th time in school history. It was the third time in the past two seasons that the Phoenix has reached the century mark under head coach Billy Taylor.
• The Phoenix connected on 64.0 percent (45-of-70) from the field, which included 10 3-point field goals and 66 points in the paint, while the defense held the Eagles to 41.0 percent (25-of-61) shooting.
• Thanks to Dorn's performance, the Phoenix bench scored 48 total points in the contest. It was the seventh time this season that the Elon reserves have scored 30 or more points.
• Dorn's 25 points is a single-game high for the Phoenix this season. The Charlotte, N.C., native was 10-of-14 from the floor while knocking down 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.
• Mackinnon posted his fifth career 20-point game, including his first of this season. The Brisbane, Australia, native went 8-of-11 from the field while going 3-of-4 from three.
• Sherry had his third double-digit scoring performance in the past four games. The junior also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and set a new career-best with three blocks in the contest.
• The Phoenix improved to 9-0 all-time versus Bridgewater in a series going back to 1926-27.
• Elon has now had double-digit three-pointers in five of its 11 games this year, posting a record of 4-1 in those contests.
 
UP NEXT
The Phoenix travels to South Carolina for a matchup versus the Gamecocks next Friday, Dec. 22. That contest is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will air on the SEC Network.