ELON, N.C. – Closing out the home portion of its schedule this week, the Elon University men's basketball team welcomes CAA-leader Towson to Schar Center for a matchup on Thursday night, Feb. 20. Tip-off between the Phoenix (16-11, 7-7 CAA) and the Tigers (18-9, 13-1 CAA) is slated for 7 p.m.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
• The game will stream on FloCollege (FloHoops) via a paid subscription.
• Listen to the Elon Sports Network from Learfield IMG College's coverage on The Varsity Network App. Longtime voice of the Phoenix, Taylor Durham, will be on the call along with analyst Will Roberson as the pregame show begins at 6:30 p.m.
• Links for the broadcast and live stats can be found on the Elon men's basketball schedule page at elonphoenix.com.
• Other in-game updates will be provided on X (formerly Twitter) by following @ElonMBasketball.
 
THE MATCHUP
• Both teams will play each other for the first and only time this season on Thursday and for the 19^th time overall in the series. Towson holds a 12-6 lead over Elon and has won four straight and six of the past seven games.
• Last season, both teams faced off in Towson with the Tigers defeating the maroon and gold, 80-55 in the lone matchup of the year between the two teams. TK Simpkins had 19 points for the Phoenix while Nick Dorn added 12 points for Elon, going 4-of-8 from three-point range.
• Elon's last win in the series came on March 6, 2021, in the first round of the CAA Tournament in Harrisonburg, Va. The Phoenix came away with a 69-48 victory over Towson as Hunter McIntosh led the way for Elon, posting 13 points, three rebounds and three assists in just under 30 minutes of action.
• The Phoenix's last home win over the Tigers was on Jan. 2, 2018, as Elon held on for a 75-72 victory. Elon fought back from as much as a 10-point deficit and shot a blistering 69.2 percent from the floor in the second half. Elon had four players finish in double figures, led by Steven Santa Ana's team-high 17 points. Tyler Seibring added 16 points and a team-best six rebounds. Dmitri Thompson chipped in 15 points and five rebounds, while Dainan Swoope added 12 points and a team-high six assists.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• Elon grabbed an 81-70 road win at UNCW last Saturday, its second win in as many seasons for the maroon and gold at Trask Coliseum. The Phoenix also snapped the Seahawks' nine-game winning streak going into the contest.
• TK Simpkins had a season-high 32 points to lead the Phoenix while going 8-of-10 from three-point range – tying for the second-most makes in school history. TJ Simpkins had 13 with Isaac Harrell (11) and Sam Sherry (10) also scoring in double figures.
• Elon took a 16-7 over UNCW in the early portion of the game and held a 28-16 advantage at the midway point of the first half. The Seahawks were able to get as close as four points, 43-39, with 48 seconds left before halftime, but a three from TK Simpkins gave the Phoenix a 46-39 lead going into the break.
• UNCW battled in the second half, trimming Elon's lead to just one, 65-64, with 6:54 remaining. The Phoenix was able to withhold the rally and pull away from the Seahawks to get the 81-70 win.
• Sherry became the 26th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points on his first basket of the game. The Mechanicsburg, Pa., native grabbed two rebounds and is three away from 500 in his career.
• Matthew Van Komen had five blocked shots on the night – his eighth game with four or more rejections. The Lehi, Utah, native increased his season total to 66 on the season, setting a new program single-season record for blocks to break the 64 mark set by Lucas Troutman in 2012-13.
 
SCOUTING TOWSON
• In its 14^th season under the leadership of head coach Pat Skerry, Towson is 18-9 on the season with a 13-1 ledger in the CAA. The Tigers have won 12 straight after knocking off Monmouth at home on Thursday, 80-54.
• Towson averages 68.6 points on 41.2 percent shooting, including 32.2 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 65.3 points on 42.8 percent shooting, including 31.6 percent from 3-point range. The Tigers take care of the ball, ranking 13^th in the nation in turnovers per game at 9.4 while also being one of the better defensive teams in the country, sitting 28^th in scoring defense.
• Three players are scoring in double figures for the Tigers with sophomore Tyler Tejada leading the way with his 16.4 points per game. Dylan Williamson is second on the team at 13.7 points per game with 65 three-points, a team-high. Nendah Tarke is the third Towson player in double-digit scoring at 11.5 points per game to go along with his team-best 32 steals. Sophomore Mekhi Lowery leads the Tigers in rebounds (5.6 rpg.) and block shots (24).
• After going 20-14 last season with an 11-7 record in the CAA, Towson was picked as the league favorite in the 2024-25 CAA Preseason poll.
• Skerry is the winningest head coach in Towson University Men's Basketball Division 1 history. He has the highest win percentage in Division 1 program history. Going into this season, Skerry has won at least 18 games in nine seasons in the last 12 years.
 
TAYLOR HONORED WITH HUGH DURHAM AWARD MIDSEASON COACHING HONOR
• Elon head coach Billy Taylor was honored as the recipient of the midseason Hugh Durham Award as announced by CollegeInsider.com on Jan. 16. The Hugh Durham Award is presented annually to the top mid-major college basketball coach in Division I.
• Taylor has led the Phoenix to one of its best starts in its Division I history this season as Elon is 16-11 on the year. Among the notable victories this season for the Phoenix includes Elon's 84-77 win at Notre Dame on Nov. 22. It was Elon's first win over a Power 4 opponent since 2012 and its first win over an ACC foe since 2005.
• The Hugh Durham Award is presented annually to the nation's top mid-major coach. The award is named in honor of Hugh Durham who had retired at the end of the 2004-05 season. Durham is one of just twelve coaches to have led two different programs to the NCAA Final Four (Florida State in 1972 and Georgia in 1983). He is the only coach among that group to have led both schools to their lone Final Four appearance.
 
ELON BASKETBALL LIVE IS BACK
• Elon Basketball Live presented by Select Bank is back on Monday nights at MaGerks Pub and Grill in Elon, N.C., coinciding with the start of the new calendar year and the Phoenix's start in CAA basketball play. The show will run from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday nights with a couple of schedule exceptions.
• Elon Basketball Live is the exclusive chance for fans to hear directly from head women's basketball coach Charlotte Smith and head men's basketball coach Billy Taylor all winter long. The longtime voice of the Phoenix, Taylor Durham, will chat with both Smith and Taylor, along with player guests, about recent and upcoming games.
• Fans are invited to attend the broadcast live and can also listen via The Varsity Network app on their phone or smart device. The show will also be available on Tuesday morning via The Voices of Elon Athletics Podcast on Spotify.
 
PRESEASON PRAISE
• Junior guard TK Simpkins was named to the 2024-25 Preseason All-CAA as the league announced its preseason awards on Oct. 18. Simpkins is the second Phoenix to earn a spot on the All-CAA preseason team in the past two seasons.
• The Brooklyn, N.Y., native was the Phoenix's top scorer at 13.8 points per game and in total assists with 90. He also finished second on the squad at 4.7 rebounds per game while pacing the Phoenix in free throws made at 128 while hitting 74 percent from the charity stripe.
• During the CAA season, Simpkins upped his scoring average to 14.6 per game and tied for the team-lead in rebounds per contest (4.9) while dishing out 3.7 assists per game. He was also active on the defensive end, recording 45 steals on the season. He scored in double figures 21 times in 2023-24.
 
2023-24 REWIND
• The Phoenix returned nine players from its squad a season ago including three starters. Overall, Elon brings back 54 percent of its scoring, 66 percent of its rebounding, 43 percent of its assists and 41 percent of its three-point field goals from 2023-24.
• Elon is coming off a season ranking third in the CAA in three-point field goal percentage (35.2), fourth in three-point attempts (24.4) and fourth in steals per game (6.3). The Phoenix also posted its first winning record on its home floor at Schar Center for the first time in the seven-year facility (excluding the truncated 2020-21 COVID season).
• Along with Simpkins, Elon's other returning starters are senior forward Sam Sherry and sophomore guard Nick Dorn. Both players averaged over nine points per game while starting at least 22 games for the maroon and gold.
• Head coach Billy Taylor begins his third season at the helm of the Phoenix men's basketball program. Taylor helped the Phoenix to post its first winning record at the Schar Center last season while also helping the maroon and gold earn a pair of wins versus teams with an RPI/NET rating of 150 in UNCW and Delaware.
 
TICKETS ON SALE
• Single-game tickets are available for purchase on ElonTickets.com. Single-game tickets begin at $20 for men's basketball. Fans are able to purchase a book of 10 ticket vouchers for $100. These vouchers are redeemable for a ticket to any Elon men's regular season home game. Ticket vouchers must be redeemed for a reserved seat ticket prior to entry. This can be done at the Schar Center Box Office during regular business hours (M-F, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.) or starting 90 minutes prior to tipoff.
• Elon men's basketball season tickets are just $170. For Phoenix Club donors at the Elon Society level, courtside seats are $210, and access to the Sunbrella Club is $360. The Sunbrella Club provides private access to a cash bar and food buffet catered by Harvest Table with a rotation of menus for each game.
• For more information, visit ElonTickets.com or call the Elon Ticket Office at 336-278-6750.
 
UP NEXT
Elon hosts William & Mary on Saturday night, Feb. 22, for its Senior Night. Game time between the Phoenix and the Tribe is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will stream on FloCollege (FloHoops).