ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team continues its three-game road trip with a visit to Boston as the Phoenix takes on Northeastern on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 4, at Matthews Arena. The contest is slated for a 2 p.m. start time.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
• Saturday's game will be streamed live on FloHoops via a paid subscription.
• Listen to the game on the Elon Sports Network from Learfield on The Varsity Network app.
• Longtime voice of the Phoenix, Taylor Durham, will be on the call with the pregame show beginning at 1:30 p.m.
• Links for the broadcast and live stats can be found on the Elon men's basketball schedule page at elonphoenix.com.
• Other in-game updates will be provided on Twitter by following @ElonMBasketball.
 
THE MATCHUP
• Elon and Northeastern will meet for the 18^th time in their series histories on Saturday with the Huskies holding an 11-6 advantage in a series dating back to when the two became Colonial Athletic Association foes in 2014-15.
• Elon is 3-6 on the road in the series, but the Phoenix swept the Huskies last season in their two meetings. The Phoenix defeated Northeastern 67-54 in the most recent meet in Boston last year with Hunter McIntosh leading the charge with 21 points. Elon held an edge in points in the paint (28-22), points off turnovers (13-6) and bench points (18-5).
• The Phoenix will be attempting to earn its third straight victory over the Huskies for the first time. Elon twice has had two-game win streaks against Northeastern.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Phoenix jumped out early with a 22-4 lead en route to a 69-55 victory at Stony Brook on Thursday, Feb. 2, to begin its three-game road swing. The win was Elon's (4-19, 2-8 CAA) first on the road this season.
• Jerald Gillens-Butler led four Phoenix players in double figures as the Orlando, Fla., native tied his career-high with 19 points. Max Mackinnon had 15 for the maroon and gold while Sam Sherry and Zac Ervin contributed with 13 and 10, respectively.
• Elon shot nearly 56 percent from the floor in the opening half, its second-best shooting performance in the opening stanza this season. Its 46 points scored also tied for the second-highest scoring total in the first half this season.
• The Phoenix dominated the Seawolves on the glass, 41-31, including a 15-9 margin on the offensive boards. Elon also outscored Stony Brook in points off turnovers (14-4), points in the paint (34-22) and second-chance points (15-8).
• The Seawolves shot only 27.6 percent from the floor in the first half against the Phoenix defense. That's the lowest percentage an Elon opponent has shot versus the maroon and gold in the opening period this season.
 
SCOUTING ELON
• Elon is averaging 66.0 points per game and ranks third in the CAA in fastbreak points at 9.45 points per contest and fifth in free throw percentage at 71.9 percent.
• Sean Halloran leads the Phoenix in scoring at 12.9 points per game and has led Elon in scoring eight times this year. The Orlando, Fla., native has scored in double figures a team-best 17 times.
• Halloran is also the Phoenix's top playmaker with 100 total assists after adding seven at Stony Brook on Thursday. His 4.3 assist average is third in the CAA and the highest for the program since Luke Eddy averaged 4.5 assists per game during the 2015-16 season.
• Halloran is second in the CAA in total steals (48) and steals per game (2.1). He moved into the program's top-10 list for steals in a single season after making three steals at Stony Brook. His steals per game average would break the single-season school-record in the Division I era, set by Scottie Rice in 2002-03.
• Mackinnon is second on the team in scoring at 10.9 points per game while also being the Phoenix's leading rebounder with 115 boards (5.2 rpg). The Brisbane, Australia, native had his 11th double-digit scoring contest of the season against Stony Brook and has averaged 4.7 assists per game in his past three contests.
• Zac Ervin leads the Phoenix with 53 makes from three-point range and is third on the team in scoring at 10.7 points per game. He is eighth overall in the CAA in three-point field goals per game at 2.3.
• Gillens-Butler continues his recovery back into the Phoenix's lineup after missing the first half of the season due to injury. The Orlando, Fla., native has started the past seven games and is averaging 9.3 points per game during that stretch. He is averaging 13.8 in his past four games with three double-digit scoring performances in which the Phoenix has won two of those contests.
• Sherry had his second straight double-digit scoring outing against the Seawolves, the first time he has scored 10 or more points in consecutive games since mid-December. The Mechanicsburg, Pa., native is fourth on the team in scoring at 9.1 points per game while shooting 55.7 percent from the floor, which is the highest on the team among players with 20 or more made field goals.
• Torrence Watson is averaging a team-high 5.3 rebounds per game after pulling down six versus Stony Brook. The St. Louis native is fifth overall on the team in scoring at 9.0 points per game.
• Health has been a major storyline for the Phoenix this season. Five players – Halloran, Ervin, Sam Sherry, John Bowen III and LA Pratt – have appeared in all 23 games so far for the Phoenix. Elon has also had three scholarship players – Gillens-Butler, Andrew Junkin and Deandre Smart – miss ten or more games this season with long-term injuries.
 
SCOUTING NORTHEASTERN
• The Huskies (8-13, 4-6 CAA) enter Saturday's matchup after an 81-78 setback at Delaware last Saturday. It was the third straight defeat for Northeastern, with its last victory coming at Stony Brook on Jan. 19.
• Northeastern is averaging 66.2 points per game on 42.5 percent shooting, including 34.4 percent from 3-point range, to go with 36.6 rebounds, 13.1 assists and 4.2 blocks per game, while allowing 70.4 points on 43.8 percent shooting, including 35.1 percent from 3-point range.
• Four players are averaging 7.2 points per game or higher with junior Jahmyl Telfort's 15.9 points per game average the highest on the team. The Boucherville, Quebec, native also leads the program in total assists with 49.
• Junior forward Coleman Stucke leads the Huskies with 44 three-pointers and is averaging 9.7 points per game after coming off 34 points at Delaware. Chris Doherty is the Huskies' leading rebounder with 6.4 rebounds per game and is third in scoring at 9.1 points per game.
• Bill Coen is in his 17^th season at the helm of the Northeastern men's basketball program. He has compiled a record of 268-257 with the Huskies including four CAA regular season titles and a pair of trips of the NCAA Tournament.
 
ELON BASKETBALL LIVE RETURNS
• With the start of the new calendar year coinciding with the beginning of Colonial Athletic Association play, Elon Basketball Live presented by MaGerks returned on Monday, Jan. 9. The show will take place at MaGerks Pub & Grill in Elon.
• Elon Basketball Live is the exclusive chance for fans to hear directly from head women's basketball coach Charlotte Smith and head men's basketball coach Billy Taylor all winter long. The longtime voice of the Phoenix, Taylor Durham, will chat with both Smith and Taylor, along with player guests, about recent and upcoming games.
• Fans are invited to attend the broadcast live and can also listen via The Varsity Network app on their phone or smart device. The show will also be available on Tuesday morning via The Voices of Elon Athletics Podcast on Spotify.
 
TICKETS ON SALE
• Season tickets are now on sale for $170 for men's basketball.
• Single-game tickets are now on sale! Single-game tickets begin at $15 for men's basketball.
• Fans are able to purchase a book of 10 ticket vouchers for $75. These vouchers are redeemable for a ticket to any Elon men's or women's basketball regular season home game. Use all 10 for any one game, or use one voucher for 10 different games. Fans will also receive an Elon mini autographed basketball from the head coaches. These tickets represent a 50 percent savings for men's basketball tickets and a 25 percent savings for women's basketball vs. single-game prices.
• Ticket vouchers must be redeemed for a reserved seat ticket prior to entry. This can be done at the Schar Center Box Office during regular business hours (M-F, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.) or starting 90 minutes prior to tipoff.
• For more information, visit ElonTickets.com or call the Elon Ticket Office at 336-278-6750.
 
LAUNCHING THE BILLY TAYLOR ERA
• Billy Taylor was named the 19^th head coach of the Phoenix on April 15, 2022. Taylor arrived to the Phoenix after spending the past three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Iowa.
• Prior to working with the Hawkeyes, Taylor spent five years as head coach at Lehigh University followed by six seasons as the head coach at Ball State University and three at Belmont Abbey College.
• In his time at Iowa, the Hawkeyes ranked as one of the top offensive teams in the country, ranking fifth nationally in scoring average in both 2021 (83.7) and 2022 (83.2). The program also led the country in assist-to-turnover ratio in both seasons.
• Taylor was a two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year (2003, 2004) and led Lehigh to both the regular season and tournament titles in 2004, earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament that season. He also guided Ball State to the 2009 MAC West Division crown.
 
OPENING TIP
• Elon welcomes back seven letterwinners from last year's team including five upperclassmen. Among the notable returners for the maroon and gold includes graduate student Torrence Watson and senior Zac Ervin. Both players are the leading returning scorers for Elon at 9.2 and 7.1 points per game, respectively.
• The Phoenix also welcomes back redshirt Jerald Gillens-Butler, who hopes to return to form after being named an All-Colonial Athletic Association honorable mention prior to last year. The Orlando, Fla., native appeared in only 10 games last year after missing most of the prior season due to an injury.
• A pair of graduate transfers will look to make an immediate impact for the Phoenix this season. Sean Halloran arrives to the Phoenix after an outstanding four-year career at Belmont Abbey. The Orlando, Fla., native finished as the all-time career assist leader with the Crusaders while helping the program to back-to-back Conference Carolinas Tournament Championships and three straight NCAA tournament appearances. He rounded out his career averaging 14.4 points per game as a senior and concluded his career with 1,422 points.
• Another graduate transfer, John Bowen III, brings size to the Phoenix front line at 6-foot-9 and 215 pounds. The Bladenboro, N.C., native last played at UNCW in 2019-20 and appeared in 28 out of 32 games. Prior to UNCW, Bowen III was a teammate of Halloran's at Belmont Abbey and averaged 8.9 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per contest in 2018-19 while starting 27 of 28 games.
• A pair of freshmen will also look to make an impact for the maroon and gold in 2022-23. Max Mackinnon is a 6-foot-5 swingman from Brisbane, Australia, where he won back-to-back gold medals with the U20 Australian National Team. He was also named an All-Star 5 at the Australian National Championship.
• Another freshman, LA Pratt, is a 6-foot-5 guard from Columbus, Ohio, who was a three-time All-4A Team member and three-time conference champion at Lincoln Park High School. He scored over 1,000 points in high school and helped guide the program to two WPIAL Championship appearances and two State Semifinal appearances.
 
UP NEXT
Elon closes out its road swing with a midweek contest versus Piedmont Triad rival North Carolina A&T on Wednesday, Feb. 8. That game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start time.