GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team saw its three-game win streak snapped at Piedmont Triad rival North Carolina A&T as the Aggies defeated the Phoenix, 66-61, on Wednesday night, Feb. 8, at Corbett Sports Center.
 
Torrence Watson led the Phoenix (5-20, 3-9 Colonial Athletic Association) with 17 points while adding his second double-double of the season with 10 rebounds. Sean Halloran added 12 points while Max Mackinnon contributed 11.
 
North Carolina A&T (12-14, 7-6 CAA) was led by the duo of Love Bettis and Marcus Watson and their 20 points each. Bettis was 7-of-10 from the floor including 6-of-9 from three-point range while Watson was a perfect 10-of-10 from the charity stripe. Kam Woods scored 10 points for the Aggies to round out the double-digit performers.
 
THE RUNDOWN
• Elon held a 6-4 lead by the first media timeout. Zac Ervin knocked down a three-pointer to break a 2-2 tie while Watson split a pair of free throws to give Elon the two-point advantage.
• The Phoenix doubled its lead to 8-4 after a LA Pratt layup, but the Aggies came back with a 7-0 run to take the lead, 11-8. Elon came back with a 7-0 run of its own to retake the advantage, 15-11, after a three and a layup by Watson. N.C. A&T would level the contest at 17-all going into the under-12 media timeout.
• Elon moved back in front with a free throw from John Bowen III and a three-pointer by Halloran as the Phoenix held a 21-17 lead by the under-eight media timeout. The Phoenix still held a four-point lead after a layup from JaDun Michael, but the Aggies responded with a 7-0 run to move ahead 26-23.
• The Aggies held a 27-25 lead after a free throw with 3:57 left in the first half, but back-to-back threes from Watson gave Elon a four-point advantage. N.C. A&T came back to make it a one-point game after a pair of free throws, but a three-pointer from Halloran with seven seconds left gave the maroon and gold the four-point cushion going into the break.
• North Carolina A&T came out the second half with a three to trim the Phoenix's deficit to one, 36-35, but the Phoenix came back with a 6-1 run to hold a 42-36 advantage after a layup by Halloran with 17:09 left in the game.
• An ensuing 9-1 run over the next three-plus minutes by the Aggies put the Phoenix in a 45-43 disadvantage. Mackinnon stopped the run with a three-pointer, but N.C. A&T's Duncan Powell put the Aggies back in front, 47-46, before the under-12 media timeout.
• Elon went back in front by three, 50-47, after a Mackinnon jumper and a Watson dunk. A layup by Pratt increased the Phoenix's lead to five before the Aggies trimmed it back to three on a pair of free throws before the under-eight media timeout.
• The Phoenix extended its lead to five, 54-49, after Mackinnon's jumper with 7:28 left in the game. The Aggies answered with an 8-3 run to tie the game at 57-all capped by a Love Bettis jumper with 4:08 left in the game.
• Elon went back up by four, 61-57, after a pair of Ervin free throws and a Halloran layup. N.C A&T's Duncan Powell converted an old-fashioned three-point play to bring the Aggies within one, 61-60, with 2:07 left in the game.
• Bettis came up with a three-pointer to put the Aggies up, 63-61, with 1:12 left in the period leading to a Phoenix timeout. Elon however was unable to get a good look on its next possession, giving the ball back to the Aggies on a foul.
• The Aggies missed a couple of chances to put the game away on a missed free throw on the front end of a one-and-one and a missed layup. Elon would corral the rebound, but could not find the tying or go-ahead score after a missed three-pointer on the other end.
• North Carolina A&T left the door open for the Phoenix as Powell split a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left to keep it a one-possession game, 64-61. Elon could not convert on the tying three-pointer as the Aggies held on for the win.
 
NOTES
• Elon won the battle on the boards, 45-37, with its 45 rebounds being the second-highest total against a team this season behind its 49 rebounds versus Erskine. Elon's effort on the glass contributed to a 12-3 margin in second-chance points.
• Watson posted his second double-double of the season and the fourth this year for the Phoenix as he tied Mackinnon for team-high honors in that category. The St. Louis native earned his first starting assignment since Nov. 30, 2022, at High Point.
• The Phoenix held the Aggies to only 33.3 percent shooting, matching its best defensive shooting percentage this season. UNCW also shot 33.3 percent on Jan. 16.
• JaDun Michael played in his first game off injury since College of Charleston on Jan. 14. The Burlington, N.C., native scored two points and grabbed a rebound in the contest.
 
UP NEXT
The Phoenix returns to Schar Center on Saturday, Feb. 11, hosting William & Mary at 2 p.m.