ELON, N.C. – The three-game road swing for the Elon University men's basketball team concludes on Saturday night, Feb. 24, as the Phoenix (12-16, 5-10 CAA) takes on Hofstra (17-11, 10-5 CAA) at the Davis S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
• The game will stream 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 along with the pregame show 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/X by following @ElonMBasketball.
 
TICKETS ON SALE
• Single-game tickets are now available for the 2023-24 Elon Basketball season! Don't miss the action, be there to cheer on your Phoenix! Grab your tickets today and be a part of the excitement in Schar Center!
• The Elon University Department of Athletics has many ticket options available for fans, including season tickets, single-game tickets and voucher books.
• For more information, visit ElonTickets.com or call the Elon Ticket Office at 336-278-6750.
 
THE MATCHUP
• Elon and Hofstra will match up for the 18^th time in their series histories on Saturday night. The Pride owns a 12-5 advantage all-time over the maroon and gold.
• Hofstra won the lone meeting between the two teams last season, 82-65, at Schar Center. The Pride used a hot-shooting second half to pull away from the Phoenix, hitting 65 percent of its shots (19-of-29) including going 11-of-18 from three-point range.
• Sean Halloran scored a season-high 24 points to lead the Phoenix in last year's contest, going 9-of-19 from the field. Torrence Watson added a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Hofstra's Aaron Estrada scored 40 points for the Pride, tying the single-game mark at Schar Center.
• Elon's last win in the series came at Hofstra on Feb. 24, 2022, with the Phoenix earning an 81-55 victory. The Phoenix saw four players score in double figures with Darius Burford dropping 21 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Hunter McIntosh chipped in with 18 while Andrew Junkin finished with career-highs in points (16) and rebounds (10).
 
LAST TIME OUT
• A furious second-half comeback for the Phoenix fell short as Elon dropped a 61-58 contest at Northeastern on Thursday. The win helped the Huskies sweep the regular-season series over the Phoenix.
• The Huskies held a 10-point lead at the half and led by as many as 16 in the second half before the Phoenix came back to tie the game at 53-all after a Nick Dorn three-pointer with just six-and-a-half minutes remaining. Elon tied the game once again at 55-all on a TK Simpkins jumper with just over a minute remaining.
• Northeastern took a 57-55 lead with 20 seconds left, but Elon answered to take the lead on a Max Mackinnon three-pointer with eight seconds left to put the Phoenix ahead 58-57. The Huskies however would gain advantage again after drawing a foul on a three-point attempt with Northeastern hitting all three free throws to take the lead for good and earn the 61-58 victory.
• Dorn led the Phoenix with 14 points, the most the rookie has scored in a game since having 15 versus North Carolina A&T on Jan. 6. Mackinnon added 13 while Sam Sherry posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
 
MACKINNON GARNERS CAA WEEKLY HONORS
• For his efforts in helping the Phoenix go 2-1 last week, Mackinnon was named the CAA Player of the Week on Monday, Feb. 19. It was the first weekly honor for Mackinnon this season.
• The sophomore was key in helping the Phoenix go 2-1 last week, including winning a pair of games versus Delaware and UNCW, who are both in the top-six of the CAA standings. The Brisbane, Australia, native averaged 17.7 points per game while shooting over 60 percent from the floor (20-of-33) while also knocking down 50 percent of his attempts from three-point range (7-of-14). He also averaged 4.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists for the maroon and gold.
• The CAA reigning Rookie of the Year scored a career-high 26 points with three steals in the Phoenix's 73-67 win over Delaware last Thursday prior to his performance at UNCW.
 
SCOUTING ELON
• Elon ranks in the top-five of the CAA in three-point percentage (2^nd, 35.9), steals per game (3^rd, 6.3), three-pointers per game (4^th, 8.6), assists per game (5^th, 13.2), bench points per game (5^th, 25.14), scoring offense (5^th, 74.1) and three-pointers attempted (5^th, 23.9).
• Three players are averaging double-digits for the Phoenix while three others are averaging over seven points per game. Mackinnon holds a slight lead over Simpkins in the team-lead in points per game (12.6 to 12.3) and is also the Phoenix's leading scorer during CAA play at 13.3 points per contest.
• Mackinnon is also the team leader in rebounds per game (4.7) while also being second on the squad in assists with 72. He is also hitting over 40 percent of his attempts from downtown (41.2) with 49 makes on the season so far.
• Simpkins saw his double-digit scoring streak snap at four games after putting up six versus Northeastern. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native has been the Phoenix's top playmaker of late, leading the team in assists with 75 including having a career-high 10 assists versus Stony Brook on Feb. 8.
• Sherry is just outside the double-digit average at 9.6 points per game. The junior leads the team in field goal percentage (57.4) among players with 10 or more makes. Sherry's 30 blocks lead the team and rank eighth overall in the CAA.
• Dorn is averaging 9.5 points per game. The Charlotte native is the team leader in three-point field goals with 52. While hitting 37 percent of his attempts from downtown.
• The Phoenix returns eight players from last year's roster for second-year head coach Billy Taylor. Elon was predicted to finish 10^th in the 2023-24 CAA Preseason Poll after going 6-12 in league play last season.
• Along with Mackinnon, other returning starters for the Phoenix include Zac Ervin and junior Sam Sherry. Ervin led the Phoenix in three-point makes last season with 61 while averaging 9.3 points per contest. The 6-foot-5 guard was third on the team in minutes per game (27.5) and assists (47).
• After averaging less than 10 minutes a game as a freshman, Sherry came on strong during his sophomore campaign. The Mechanicsville, Pa., native averaged 9.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while blocking a team-high 25 shots. He also finished second on the team in field-goal percentage at 57.8 and ended the year with his first career double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds versus William & Mary at the CAA Tournament.
• The maroon and gold also welcomes back three other veterans in senior JaDun Michael and sophomores Deandre Smart and LA Pratt. Michael played in 18 games with five starts, averaging 4.1 points. Pratt saw valuable playing time during his freshman season in which he started eight games while Smart gave the Phoenix valuable minutes off the bench before an injury cut short his season in which he averaged 9.0 points per game while 72.2 percent from the floor. Other returners on the Phoenix include sophomores Otto Luessenhop and Austin Williams.
•Elon welcomes seven newcomers to its roster for 2023-24. Joining the Phoenix are transfers Rob Higgins and TK Simpkins along with incoming freshmen Kendall Campbell, Nick Dorn, Isaac Harrell, Ned Hull and Savion Taylor.
• Among the notable newcomers include Higgins, a transfer from St. Francis Brooklyn College where he spent the past four seasons. A 6-foot-1, 179-pound guard from Middletown, N.J., Higgins tied for the team-lead in scoring this past season at St. Francis Brooklyn, averaging 11.3 points per contest.
• Simpkins is a 6-foot-4, 184-pound guard who was a member of the Northwest Florida State College program last season. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native appeared in 37 games for the Raiders, averaging 8.8 points per game.
 
SCOUTING HOFSTRA
• Hofstra is coming off a 69-57 win over Drexel on Thursday, improving to 17-11 overall and 10-5 in league play. The Pride is in a three-way tie for third in the CAA standings along with Drexel and Towson going into Saturday.
• The Pride is averaging 74.5 points on 47.1 percent shooting, including 37.1 percent from three-point range, with 32.9 rebounds, 15.4 assists, 5.9 steals and 3.7 blocks per game, while allowing 68.9 points on 41.4 percent shooting, including 34.2 percent from three-point range. Hofstra is connecting on 74.2 percent from the free throw line.
• The Pride boasts one of the top offenses in the country, ranking in the top 30 in three categories, including 11^th in three-pointers per game (10.2), 19^th in both three-pointers attempted per game (27.5) and 21^st in effective field goal percentage (55.8).
• Hofstra has two players averaging double-figure scoring in graduate student Tyler Thomas (22.3 ppg) and junior Darlington Dunbar (17.7 ppg). Thomas is the CAA's leading scorer and scored 28 points in the Pride's win over Drexel on Thursday. He is also leading the team in three-point makes (103) while ranking second on the squad in rebounds per game (5.2) and assists (94).
• Dunbar is hitting 52.1 percent of his shots from the field while also shooting over 40 percent from three-point range. He is also the team's leading rebounder at 6.6 boards per contest and in total block shots with 27.
• Speedy Claxton is in his third season at the helm of the Hofstra program. Last season, he led his alma mater to 25 wins, the regular season CAA title and a spot in the NIT tournament including a first-round win over Big Ten opponent Rutgers. He was also named the CAA Coach of the Year in 2022-23.
 
PRESEASON PRAISE
• Sophomore Max Mackinnon received some preseason praise from the CAA as the Brisbane, Australia, native was named to the 2023-24 Preseason All-CAA second team on Oct. 19.
• The reigning CAA Rookie of the Year in 2022-23, Mackinnon is the Phoenix's returning leader in points (11.4 ppg), rebounds (5.1 rpg), assists (2.4 apg) and steals (1.1 spg). Mackinnon is coming off a rookie campaign in which he shot nearly 50 percent from the floor and was named CAA Rookie of the Week selection a league-high four times. He also led the program with three double-doubles and scored in double figures 17 times including four 20-point performances.
• Among Mackinnon's standout games last season included him scoring 19 points at No. 18/21 Indiana, the second-highest point total that a freshman has scored against the Hoosiers at that point of the season. He also scored a season-high 24 points while adding his first career double-double with 12 rebounds at High Point. He also added 20 points and a season-best eight assists at Northeastern while scoring 17 points with a career-best 13 rebounds at No. 22 College of Charleston.
 
UP NEXT
The Phoenix wraps up its home schedule with a pair of games next week including hosting William & Mary at Schar Center next Thursday, Feb. 29. That game will be featured on the CBS Sports Network with game time set for 7 p.m.