ELON, N.C. – Talk around Elon University's campus on Thursday, the first day of classes for the spring semester, was the Jersey Jam to be held at Schar Center that evening. 

Students filled Schar in hopes of receiving a replica Elon jersey and free sub from Jersey Mike's, and were treated to a battle on the court between two in-state foes as the Elon men's basketball team took on Campbell. For much of the second half, the Phoenix felt they were a step behind the Camels, up until the final four minutes, when the large mass of students filling much of the arena – Elon's sixth man for the night – propelled the team to a late run. 

With just over two minutes remaining, the Phoenix trailed 67-61 as the Camels had possession and a clean drive to the hoop for a dunk which would have given them an eight-point lead. However, Campbell's Anthony Dell'Orso lost the handle of his dunk attempt as the crowd erupted watching the ball fall out of bounds and into the possession of the Phoenix. On the other end, Sam Sherry hit a layup to cut the deficit to four with 1:48 left on the clock. With momentum and a raucous student section on its side, Elon forced Campbell into a shot clock violation, breaking the metaphorical decibel-meter inside the packed arena. 

Powered by the crowd, the Phoenix went on a 10-0 run over the final four minutes to tie the game at 67 in the final moments before Campbell secured the win with a last-second layup. Despite the result, the overwhelming support from students did not go unnoticed. 

"I can honestly say it was unbelievable," Sherry remarked. "I am always appreciative of anyone who comes out and I especially appreciate the student support. For everybody who came out tonight, it was a phenomenal crowd and it was an awesome experience for us as electric as it got in there."

A huge thank you to all the fans that came out tonight! We love the energy and support that you brought for our team! #phoenixrising #SALT pic.twitter.com/S1wzyjuE9h

— Elon Men's Basketball (@ElonMBasketball) February 2, 2024

Thursday night's game was the first opportunity for many students to cheer on the Phoenix in a couple months after some were away from campus during December and January. Along with the mere attendance of students, an effort to more actively involve students has also paid dividends. 

Mary DeFriest, Elon's Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Fan Engagement, has spearheaded many of these efforts and believes this showing was a strong example of how an engaged student body can positively impact Elon athletics as a whole.

"After COVID hurt our ability to engage with students, we finally have a group of Phoenix Phanatics who are energized and excited to have input on the game atmosphere," DeFriest said. "Listening to students is big in our future plans. Tonight was a lot of fun and probably one of the most engaged student crowds at a basketball game since I have joined Elon."

The students felt the same way, as they enjoyed both the promotions and the atmosphere throughout the night.  

"Tonight was some of the greatest energy that we've had during my time at Elon," Celsey McMahon '25 said. "It was lots of fun, everyone was having a blast. It was the most rowdy crowd that I've seen in a while."
 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Elon Men's Basketball (@elonmbasketball)

After the game, Elon head coach Billy Taylor specifically mentioned the unique promotions in spurring a change in culture for the men's basketball program. 

"I am really appreciative of the students for showing up and the marketing staff for their promotions and creativity," Taylor said. "We have the chance to do something special here at Schar and that is with the help of the students who mean so much to us."
 

---

'Rising Phoenix' is a new student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department's various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on Twitter (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Jacob Kisamore at jkisamore@elon.edu.

---