ELON, N.C. – Key stops down the stretch helped the Elon University men's basketball team to a 76-71 victory over William & Mary on Thursday night, Feb. 29 in a CAA contest at Schar Center.
 
Elon (13-17, 6-11 CAA) saw four players score in double figures with TK Simpkins leading the way with 18 points. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native almost had a double-double as he grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Nick Dorn added 14 for the maroon and gold while hitting four treys in the game while Max Mackinnon and Sam Sherry rounded out the double-digit scorers for Elon with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
 
William & Mary (8-22, 3-14 CAA) was handed its ninth straight loss as three players scored in double figures for the Tribe, led by a game-high 20 points from Gabe Dorsey. Caleb Dorsey added 12 points while Chase Lowe contributed with 10.
 
THE RUNDOWN
• Elon took an early 5-2 lead over the Tribe after a Dorn three-pointer and a Simpkins jumper. William & Mary however went on a 11-2 run to take a 13-7 lead at the first media timeout.
• Another three-pointer by Gabe Dorsey gave the Tribe a 16-7 advantage with 15:02 left in the opening half. Elon cut its deficit down to three, 18-15, thanks to an 8-2 run culminating with a Zac Ervin three with 13:24 left in the first period.
• William & Mary carried a 23-17 lead to the under-12 media timeout in the first half. The Tribe kept it a six-point game by the under-eight media timeout, 30-24, with 7:25 left in the opening half.
• A pair of free throws by Gabe Dorsey put the Tribe up by eight, 32-24, but Elon answered to cut its deficit to three, 32-29, after a jumper by Mackinnon and a corner trey from Dorn. The lead would go back up to eight after a three from Caleb Dorsey and a jumper from Lowe.
• The Tribe led by seven, 39-32, with just over two minutes left before halftime. Elon went on a 7-0 run to tie the contest at 39-all, but William & Mary hit a three-pointer just at the halftime buzzer to take a 42-39 lead into the locker room.
• Elon cut William & Mary's lead down to one, 42-41, as Simpkins made a layup to start off the second half. The Tribe was able to go in front back six, 47-41, after a three-pointer from Sean Houpt.
• Simpkins brought the Phoenix back within one by himself as the sophomore hit a three-pointer and then a jumper off the glass to make the score 47-46. The Tribe scored off a dunk to go up by three, 49-46, but the Phoenix would tie the game at 49-all on a Deandre Smart layup and Kendall Campbell splitting a pair at the free throw line.
• The Tribe hit back-to-back three-pointers to go back up by six before Isaac Harrell answered with a triple of his own to pull Elon back within three. William & Mary hit its third three to retake a six-point advantage, 58-52, but the Phoenix was able to hustle for a loose ball with LA Pratt converting on a layup to make it a four-point game, 58-54, with 11:03 left to play.
• Elon saw itself down by one after Zac Ervin was free for a three-pointer at the 10:37 mark. After William & Mary went back up by three on an offensive putback, 62-59, Mackinnon tied the game at 62-62 on a three with 8:58 left to play.
• The Tribe's Houpt responded on the other end with a three of his own to put William & Mary back in front by three. Elon however took the lead, 67-65, after five straight free throws between Simpkins and Ervin.
• William & Mary tied the game at 67-67 after a layup by Matteus Case with 5:49 left in the contest. Elon took the lead for good one minute later as Sherry freed himself with a spin move in the paint to put the Phoenix back up by two, 69-67.
• A split at the free throw line by Harrell followed by a jump hook from Sherry pushed the Phoenix's lead to five, 72-67, but the Tribe cut the Phoenix's advantage to one, 72-71, after a couple of layups, the last coming from Caleb Dorsey with 1:28 remaining.
• Elon however buckled down defensively over the Tribe's next few possessions in the final minute while Mackinnon helped ice the game at the free throw line as the Phoenix emerged with the 76-71 win.
 
NOTES
• Elon improved to 8-5 at Schar Center this season, tying for the most wins in a season at the six-year facility, matching the 2019-20 squad that went 8-8. The Phoenix will also finish with a winning record at Schar Center for the first time in a non-truncated COVID year.
• The Phoenix has won four straight against William & Mary on its home floor, dating back to 2021.
• Elon ended the game shooting 47 percent from the floor (26-of-55) while knocking down 39 percent of its shots from beyond the arc (9-of-23). The Phoenix won the battle of the boards, 36-29, with 14 of those coming on the offensive end. Elon improves its record to 8-3 with it outrebounds the opponent.
 
UP NEXT
Elon closes out the regular-season with a home game versus Monmouth on Saturday, March 2. Game time for that contest is scheduled for 1 p.m. as the Phoenix will host Senior Day and honor its three-person class of Zac Ervin, Rob Higgins and JaDun Michael.