WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team erased a double-digit second-half deficit, but a last-second shot by Hampton ended the Phoenix's stay at the 2024 Jersey Mike's CAA Men's Basketball Championship on Friday evening, March 8, at the Entertainment and Sports Arena.
 
Hampton's Kyrese Mullen scored the game-winner with six seconds left, as the Pirates (9-23) withheld a second-half rally by the Phoenix (13-19). Elon outscored Hampton, 30-22, in the second period, but saw its season come to a close.
 
TK Simpkins led the Phoenix with 18 points while Sam Sherry added his second double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Isaac Harrell also grabbed 10 boards for the Phoenix.
 
Jerry Deng had 16 points to lead the Pirates while Ja'Von Benson contributed with 11 for Hampton.
 
THE RUNDOWN
• Hampton opened the game with a 13-5 lead by the second media timeout of the first half. The Phoenix hit its first four free throws to take a 4-2 lead over the Pirates, but Hampton went on an 11-1 run over the next six-plus minutes to take an eight-point lead with 11:46 left in the half.
• A three-pointer by LA Pratt pulled the Phoenix within five, 13-8, but Hampton answered with a three of its own. Baskets by Sherry and Pratt cut the Phoenix's deficit to four, 16-12, before Hampton added another bucket before the under-eight media timeout to lead 18-12 with 7:59 left in the first period.
• Elon made it a four-point game, 20-16, after Max Mackinnon split a pair at the free throw line. The Pirates came back with a 7-0 run to go up 27-16, forcing the Phoenix to take a timeout with 4:44 left before the halftime break.
• The Pirates led by as many as 14, 34-20, after a pair of free throws by Jordan Nesbitt with 1:13 left in the first half. Elon closed out the first period scoring the last five points on a three by Pratt and a layup by Sherry to make it a nine-point game, 34-25, at the break.
• Hampton held a double-digit lead in the first three minutes of the second half, holding a 40-27 advantage after a pair of free throws.
• A jumper by Benson gave the Pirates a 10-point advantage with 8:43 left in the game, but Elon made a furious rally over the next four-plus minutes to take the lead on the heels of a 13-2 run. A couple of putbacks in transition by Mackinnon and Sherry eventually gave the Phoenix a 52-51 lead with 4:16 left to play.
• Hampton came back with a three on the other end to retake the lead, 54-52, with just under three minutes remaining. Both teams then went into a cold spell offensively until the final seconds when a three-pointer by Simpkins gave Elon the lead, 55-54, with 25 seconds remaining.
• Looking to make a stop on the defensive end after a Hampton timeout, Elon held strong on the Pirates' initial possession as Sherry blocked Kyrese Mullen's shot out of bounds with seven seconds left. Hampton would regroup as Mullen made a tough, contested shot off an inbounds play to put the Pirates ahead 56-55.
• After a Phoenix timeout, Elon drove the length of the floor and got a three-point shot off in the final seconds, but the shot went long as Hampton escaped with the one-point win.
 
NOTES
• Sherry added his second double-double of the season and the third overall in his career with two of them coming at the CAA Championships.
• Harrell's 10 boards were a season-high for the Jonesboro, Ark., native with five of those coming on the offensive end. Elon won the rebounding battle over the Pirates, 41-38.
• The Phoenix's work on the glass led to 17 second-chance points compared to just five for the Pirates.