HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – The Elon University men's basketball team closed out its three-game road swing with an 87-64 setback at Hofstra on Saturday night, Feb. 24, at the Davis S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex.
 
TK Simpkins scored 24 points to lead the Phoenix (12-17, 5-11 CAA) in the scoring column. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native had six rebounds and four assists while going a perfect 10-of-10 at the free throw line.
 
Hofstra improved to 18-11 overall with an 11-5 ledger in the CAA. The Pride had four players score in double figures, led by Tyler Thomas' 25 points. Darlingstone Dunbar added 17 while Jacob Fritz contributed with a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
 
THE RUNDOWN
• Elon took an early 9-5 lead within the first four-plus minutes of the game. Nick Dorn hit a three-pointer for the Phoenix's first points of the game followed by a pair of Simpkins free throws. Mackinnon added another basket on a runner in the lane to put Elon ahead 7-2 before Hofstra came back to cut its deficit to four by the first media timeout.
• The Pride went on a 7-0 run after the media timeout to take a 12-9 lead at the 13:46 mark. Zac Ervin tied the game at 12-all, but the Pride's Dunbar hit a pair of layups to push Hofstra's lead to four, 16-12. Ervin answered with his second triple to bring the Phoenix within one, 16-15, but Hofstra added a pair of baskets to take a 20-15 lead into the under-12 media timeout.
• Hofstra's lead expanded to 31-15 as the Pride continued its 15-0 run after the media timeout. The Phoenix stopped the run after a Simpkins three-pointer with 7:19 left in the game with Elon down 31-18.
• The Pride continued to expand its lead, having a margin as large as 23 points at one point, 47-24, with 2:07 left in the half. Elon was able to close out the first period with a 6-0 run to go into the break down 47-30.
• Elon cut its deficit down to 15 a couple of times in the second half with the last coming off a Simpkins jumper with 18:36 left to play to make the score 49-34.
• The Phoenix would not get the score any closer than that in the second half as Hofstra continued to pull away to earn the win.
 
NOTES
• Simpkins added his third 20-point game of the season in his return to his home state. He has scored in double figures in five of the last six games, averaging 17.2 points per game during that stretch.
• A game after shooting 1-of-6 from the free throw line at Northeastern, the Phoenix rebounded with a 19-of-23 performance at the charity stripe versus the Pride.
 
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.