NEWARK, Del. – The Elon University men's basketball team nearly overcame a double-digit halftime deficit in the final minutes but ultimately saw its comeback attempt fall short at Delaware, 79-77, on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 18, at the Bob Carpenter Center.
 
In its third game in six days, Elon (13-6, 4-2 CAA) scored 46 points in the second half and almost came back from a 19-point deficit in the second period. Four players scored in double figures for the Phoenix with TJ Simpkins leading the way with 21 points. TK Simpkins added 16 off the bench while Sam Sherry added 15. Nick Dorn rounded out the Elon double-digit scorers with 10.
 
Delaware (11-8, 4-2 CAA) saw John Camden score a game-high 28 points to lead the Blue Hens. Cavan Reilly added 18 while Erik Timko contributed with 15. Niels Lane had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
 
THE RUNDOWN
• The Blue Hens started the game on a 9-0 run thanks to three triples to take the early lead over the Phoenix by the first media timeout. Elon returned with an 8-4 run to make it a five-point game, 13-8, with 14:07 left in the opening half.
• Delaware came back with an 8-3 run to go up by 10, 21-11. After a pair of free throws brought the Phoenix within eight, the Blue Hens went on a 12-3 run to take a 33-16 advantage by the under-eight media timeout.
• Elon cut its deficit to 10, 39-29, after a tip-in from Brayden Crump with 10:55 left in the first half. Another Crump putback made it an 11-point game, 42-31, but the Blue Hens closed the half on a 7-0 run to take a 49-31 lead into the locker room.
• The Phoenix began the second half with a 5-0 run to cut Delaware's lead to 13, 49-36, after Matthew Van Komen split a pair at the line. The Blue Hens however would expand their lead to as large as 19, 64-45, with 12:32 remaining.
• A Delaware jumper put the Blue Hens back up by 19, 68-49, with 10:15 left in the game. A 9-0 run brought the Phoenix within 10, 68-58, after a floater in the lane by TK Simpkins. That forced a Delaware timeout with seven minutes left in the game.
• Two more free throws by TJ Simpkins brought it back to a 10-point game, 70-60 with 6:32 remaining. After a defensive stop on the other end, Sherry made a bucket in the paint as Elon trailed by single digits for the first time since 12:12 in the opening half.
• Delaware responded with an 8-1- run over the next two-plus minutes to push its lead to 78-63 with 3:34 left to play. An 8-0 run response by the Phoenix brought it down to a seven-point game, 78-71.
• The Blue Hens split a pair at the line to put their lead to eight, 79-71, with 1:23 remaining. Elon continued its furious rally in the final minute, going on a 6-0 run to pull within two, 79-77 after Dorn forced a turnover that led to a TJ Simpkins layup with 38 seconds remaining.
• Elon made another defensive stop and looked to tie or go ahead in transition. An Elon three attempt however fell short as Delaware corralled the rebound and forced the Phoenix to foul with five seconds left. The Blue Hens missed both chances at the charity stripe, keeping Elon as the Phoenix raced up the floor after the rebound and called a timeout with 3.2 seconds left in regulation.
• The Phoenix would miss its final shot attempt unfortunately as the Blue Hens would escape with the two-point win, 79-77.
 
NOTES
• The Blue Hens outrebounded the Phoenix, 35-34, as Elon lost the battle on the boards for the first time since at ETSU on Dec. 18.
• Elon ended the game on a 14-1 run over the final 3:24 of the contest.
• The Phoenix blanked the Blue Hens in points off the bench, 28-0. Isaac Harrell had eight off the pine for the maroon and gold while Brayden Crump added four to go along with TK Simpkins' 16.
• This was the final regular-season meeting between the Phoenix and the Blue Hens as conference opponents. Delaware will join Conference USA beginning in the 2025-26 academic year.
• Elon forced 16 Delaware turnovers, scoring 24 points off those miscues.
 
UP NEXT
The Phoenix begins a four-game homestand on Thursday, Jan. 23, hosting Monmouth at Schar Center. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will stream on FloCollege (FloHoops).