ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team concludes its three-game road trip on Wednesday night, Feb. 8, as the Phoenix travel down I-40 to take on North Carolina A&T at Corbett Sports Center. The game will tip at 7 p.m.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
• Wednesday'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 along with analyst Chase Williams beginning at 6:30 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
• Both teams will meet for the second time this season and the fifth time overall during the Phoenix's Division I era. The series is tied at 2-2 going into Wednesday's matchup between the Piedmont Triad rivals.
• North Carolina A&T defeated the Phoenix, 80-71, on Jan. 11, at Schar Center in the programs' first-ever meeting as Colonial Athletic Association foes. The Aggies rallied back from trailing in the first half by outscoring the Phoenix 41-25 in the second stanza.
• Torrence Watson led the Phoenix with 15 points off the bench while grabbing nine rebounds. Four other players also joined him in double figures with Zac Ervin and Max Mackinnon adding 13 points, Sam Sherry contributing 11 and Sean Halloran scoring 10.
• Prior to this meeting, the last time Elon and North Carolina A&T matched up came in November of 2001. N.C. A&T improved its all-time series lead to 11-4 over Elon.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• A go-ahead basket scored by Jerald Gillens-Butler with nine seconds left along with a block at the buzzer by Sam Sherry helped the Phoenix earn a 74-73 victory at Northeastern last Saturday, Feb. 4.
• Gillens-Butler scored the last five points for Elon (5-19, 3-8 CAA) and was one of three players in double figures for the Phoenix with his 18 points. Mackinnon led the Phoenix with 20 points and a career-high eight assists while Halloran added 12.
• The win helped the Phoenix go to 2-0 on its current three-game road swing and extend its overall win streak to three games. Elon defeated Stony Brook, 69-55, to open its road trip last Thursday, Feb. 2.
• Elon led 39-28 after the opening period and pushed its lead to 14 early in the second half. Northeastern rallied to take the lead, 56-53, near the halfway point of the second period and held a four-point advantage, 73-69, with 21 seconds remaining.
• A three-pointer by Gillens-Butler with 16 seconds left in the game, brought the Phoenix within one, 73-72. After the Huskies turned over the ball on an errant pass out of bounds, Gillens-Butler put the Phoenix in front with a layup, 74-73, with nine seconds left. Northeastern called a timeout after advancing to its side of the floor, but its best look was snuffed out by the Phoenix as Sherry blocked the Huskies' final attempt.
• The Phoenix held the edge over the Huskies in points off turnovers (19-16), points in the paint (40-26), second chance points (7-2), fastbreak points (13-4) and points off the bench (11-6).
 
AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE, Oi Oi Oi
• After his strong play last week, Mackinnon was rewarded as the CAA Rookie of the Week on Monday, Feb. 6. It was the second time this season that the Brisbane, Australia, native was recognized with the league weekly honors.
• Mackinnon showcased an all-around game last week, averaging 17.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists for the Phoenix. He also shot a team-best 68.2 percent from the floor (15-of-22) as the Phoenix won a pair of league road contests.
• Mackinnon native nearly had a double-double in both of his outings last week at Stony Brook and Northeastern. He opened the Phoenix's road trip with a 15-point, eight-rebound performance against the Seawolves last Thursday before scoring 20 points with a career-high eight assists in Elon's thrilling 74-73 victory over the Huskies on Saturday. Both wins helped extend the Phoenix's win streak to three.
• Mackinnon becomes the first Elon player with at least two CAA Rookie of the Week honors since Hunter McIntosh was recognized four times during the 2019-20 season.
 
SCOUTING ELON
• Elon is averaging 66.3 points per game and ranks third in the CAA in fastbreak points at 9.42 points per contest and fifth in assists (12.8). During Elon's three-game win streak, the Phoenix is scoring 71.7 points per game while holding opponents to 62.0 points. The maroon and gold is also hitting nearly 50 percent of its shots (49.7) overall with a 37.3 percent clip from downtown.
• Halloran continues to lead the Phoenix in scoring at 12.8 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 18 times.
• Halloran is also the Phoenix's top playmaker with 101 total assists. His 4.2 assist average is fourth 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 (50) and steals per game (2.1). He moved into the program's top-10 list for steals in a single season at the Division I level and sits only six steals shy of tying Scottie Rice's D-I mark of 56 in 2003-04. His steals per game average would also break Rice's single-season school record of 2.0 in 2002-03.
• Mackinnon is second on the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game while also being the Phoenix's leading rebounder with 112 boards (5.1 rpg). Over his last three games, the rookie is averaging 16.3 points per game while hitting 60.6 percent of his shots while averaging over five assists per game (5.3). For the season, Mackinnon is shooting over 50 percent from the floor (50.2), which is third on the team among players with 20 or more made field goals.
• 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 eight games and is averaging 10.4 points per game during that stretch. He is averaging 14.6 points in his past five games with four double-digit scoring performances in which the Phoenix has won three of those contests.
• Zac Ervin leads the Phoenix with 53 makes from three-point range and is third on the team in scoring at 10.5 points per game. He is ninth overall in the CAA in three-point field goals per game at 2.2.
• Watson has been a spark off the bench for the Phoenix during most of league play, averaging a team-high 5.5 rebounds per game after leading the team with eight rebounds at Northeastern on Saturday. The St. Louis native is fifth overall on the team in scoring at 8.8 points per game.
• Health has been a major storyline for the Phoenix this season. Five players – Halloran, Ervin, Sherry, John Bowen III and LA Pratt – have appeared in all 24 games so far for the Phoenix. Elon has also had three scholarship players – Gillens-Butler, Andrew Junkin, JaDun Michael and Deandre Smart – miss eight or more games this season with injuries.
 
SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA A&T
• The Aggies (11-14, 6-6 CAA) enter Wednesday's matchup after an 87-63 setback at UNCW last Thursday. It was the second straight defeat for N.C. A&T, with its last victory coming versus Drexel on Jan. 26.
• N.C. A&T is averaging 71.5 points per game – third in the CAA – on 43.3 percent shooting, including 33.7 percent from 3-point range, to go with 34.5 rebounds, 11.9 assists and 2.6 blocks per game, while allowing 73.6 points on 44.2 percent shooting, including 32.4 percent from 3-point range.
• Three players are averaging double figures for the Aggies with Kam Woods' 17.8 points per game average ranking third in the CAA. The sophomore guard is also the team's top playmaker with 80 assists and is second in the league with 70 three-pointers.
• Marcus Watson is second on the team in scoring at 14.8 points per game while pulling down 5.0 boards per contest. Demetric Horton is third on the squad at 11.4 points per game and is knocking down a team-best 45.0 percent from three-point range.
 
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
The Phoenix returns to Schar Center on Saturday, Feb. 10, hosting William & Mary at 2 p.m.