WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The Elon University men's basketball team was handed its first setback in CAA play as the Phoenix fell at William & Mary, 78-65, on Thursday night, Jan. 9, at Kaplan Arena.
 
Elon (11-5, 2-1 CAA) had four players reach double figures with Sam Sherry leading the way with 14 while adding his fifth double-double of the season with 11 rebounds. TJ Simpkins had 13 while Nick Dorn added 12. Matthew Van Komen rounded out the Phoenix top scorers with 10.
 
The Tribe (9-7, 3-0 CAA) saw three players reach double digits with Keller Boothby posting 19 to lead the way for William & Mary. Chase Lowe had 13 points while Gabe Dorsey added 11.
 
THE RUNDOWN
• Elon started with an 11-4 advantage within the first four and a half minutes of the game. Sherry scored six points during the Phoenix's run while Simpkins added four points.
• The Phoenix expanded its lead to eight, 18-10, after a tip-in from Brayden Crump with 12:42 in the half. William & Mary tied the game with an 8-0 run, but the Phoenix regained the lead as Andrew King hit a three while beating the shot clock at the 10:38 mark.
• King hit his second triple of the half at the 6:29 mark to break another tie and give the Phoenix a 28-25 lead. William & Mary answered with a 5-0 run to take its first lead of the game after a three from Gabe Dorsey and a layup from Chase Lowe to put the Tribe ahead 30-28 with just under three minutes left in the first half.
• Elon retook the lead in the final minute as Dorn was fouled on a putback attempt. The Charlotte, native made the bucket and converted the and-one free throw that gave the Phoenix the 31-30 lead at the break.
• Both teams traded baskets for the first few moments of the second half before William & Mary moved in front with its press. The pressure led the Tribe to take a 43-35 advantage with 15:10 left in the game.
• A pair of free throws by Isaiah Mbeng gave the Tribe a 45-39 lead but the Phoenix cut its deficit to one, 45-44, after a 5-0 run capped by a Simpkins and-one. The Tribe went up by four after a three from Keller Boothby, 48-44, but a pair of Sherry free throws brought it back to a one-possession game, 48-46.
• The Tribe answered with a 7-0 run to go up 55-46 with just under 10 minutes left to play. Elon made it a four-point game, 57-53, after a dunk by Crump but an 8-2 run by William & Mary put the Phoenix down 10, 65-55 with 5:42 left in the game.
• Elon got as close a six, 65-59, after a pair of Simpkins free throws and a jumper by King. However, a couple of three-pointers from both Gabe and Caleb Dorsey moved the Tribe's lead back to 10, 71-61, as William & Mary pulled away for the win.
 
NOTES
• Sherry posted his fourth double-double in his last five games. The Mechanicsburg, Pa., native is averaging 17.8 points per game and pulling down 11.2 boards per contest.
• Elon went a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line. The last time the Phoenix went perfect at the free throw line was versus Hampton on Feb. 13, 2023, while also going 10-of-10.
• The Phoenix outrebounded the Tribe, 41-31, with 19 second-chance opportunities. Elon also scored 32 points in the paint.
 
UP NEXT
Elon hosts Campbell on Monday night, Jan. 13, at 9 p.m. at Schar Center for its second straight game on the CBS Sports Network.