ELON – The Elon men's basketball team converted 20 Richmond turnovers into 29 points and closed the game strong in a 73-70 comeback victory Wednesday night at the Schar Center. The Phoenix improved to 7-4 overall, earning their season-best third straight win.
 
A pair of free throws by Richmond's AJ Lopez gave the Spiders (9-2) a 68-65 lead with 3:42 remaining before Randall Pettus II tied the game with his lone 3-pointer of the night on Elon's next possession. The teams then traded baskets to remain deadlocked at 70 with 1:19 to play, but Chandler Cuthrell delivered the decisive play, scoring an acrobatic three-point play with 53 seconds left to give Elon a 73-70 advantage that would hold.
 
Elon made its final six field-goal attempts of the contest and recorded three defensive stops in the final minute following Cuthrell's go-ahead basket.
 
Kacper Klaczek led all scorers with 16 points on a perfect 3-of-3 effort from beyond the arc, pacing three Phoenix in double figures. Ja'Juan Carr added 13 points, while Isaac Harrell finished with 11 and knocked down three triples, including two after halftime. Klaczek also topped Elon in rebounds (6), assists (3) and steals (3) while logging 31 minutes.
 
The Phoenix trailed 41-35 at halftime before shooting 53.8% from the field in the second half, including a 7-of-15 mark from three-point range. Richmond, which connected on nine triples in the opening half, was limited to just 3-of-15 from long range over the final 20 minutes.
 
NOTES

• Richmond's 20 turnovers were its most since committing 20 vs La Salle on Jan. 22, 2020.
• The win was Elon's first against Richmond in three all-time meetings.
• Eight Phoenix scored in the contest and seven had six points or more.
• Kacper Klaczek led Elon in six different statistical categories including points (16), 3-pointers made (3), free throws made (5), rebounds (6), assists (3) and steals (3).
• Chandler Cuthrell, the nation's third-leading scorer entering the game at 22.7 points per game, was held to nine points on 4-of-11 shooting.
• The Phoenix made 10-plus threes (10 of 25) for the seventh time in 11 games this season.
• Ja'Juan Carr scored Elon's first seven points of the game on the way to his fourth double-figure scoring effort of the year.

 
UP NEXT
Elon plays its penultimate nonconference game at Virginia Tech on Saturday. Tipoff at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg is at 2 p.m. ET.
 
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