ElonPhoenix.com’s game summary of the Elon Phoenix men’s basketball’s 72-59 loss to Wofford College Wednesday night begun, “A 24-1 first-half Wofford run proved an insurmountable hole for the Phoenix…”

Understated.

“This is disappointing,” Elon head coach Matt Matheny said of the loss. “Wofford played like the champions they are. They played with confidence. They played with toughness. We did not and they took it to us in the first half, knocked the wind out of our sails a little bit.”

Matheny went on to say that Elon won the second half, a surprise considering the Phoenix have struggled mightily in the latter parts of games this season.

The Terriers from Wofford were leading Elon 38-22 at halftime. Elon had shot 32 percent from the field to Wofford’s 59 percent. The Phoenix came back in the second half to hit 63 percent of their shots, but it was too late.

The normally rapid-fire three-point part of Elon’s game disappeared. Four nights after making ten trey-balls in the second half alone, the Phoenix shot only 15, hitting just four.

Phoenix sophomore guard Jack Isenbarger scored in double-digits for the tenth straight game with 17 points, but took just three treys, missing all of them.

Isenbarger will have to lead the charge to end this three-game losing streak the Phoenix finds themselves in when Western Carolina University visits Alumni Gym Saturday at 3 p.m.

Matheny did not say a whole lot about the Western Carolina game when I spoke to him on Monday night. He was more focused on the Wofford game, and for good reason.

Wofford was 9-6 in the SoCon and Western Carolina was 4-10 when we spoke.

The Catamounts are coming off a big 70-53 win over The Citadel Thursday night, ending a five-game losing streak. Western Carolina took 74 shots and out-rebounded the Bulldogs 55-to-27. Redshirt senior forward Harouna Mutombo had a season-high 24 points and sophomore forward Tawasaki King had eight points and 15 rebounds.

In their last win on the road, Elon defeated Western Carolina 71-63 Jan. 26. Isenbarger had 26 points and six rebounds and freshman guard Austin Hamilton had thirteen points and five assists.

The Catamounts are one of four teams the Phoenix has defeated away from Alumni Gym this season, joining UNC-Greensboro, The Citadel and Princeton University, in a game that seems so far away from this present Elon team.

The Phoenix won three straight games at home from Feb. 2-6, improving their home record to 9-3. With one more game in Alumni Gym Feb. 25 against UNC-Greensboro, Elon must take advantage of any games at home they can.

One thing that may key a Phoenix win is the possible return of Austin Hamilton to the lineup. Hamilton has missed the last six games with mononucleosis and Matheny hinted that he may be available Saturday.

In the midst of a three-game streak about as awful as the prior three-game winning streak was wonderful, Elon would probably take any help they can get to return to their winning ways.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

WESTERN CAROLINA: Sr. G Keaton Cole (11.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg), So. G Trey Sumler (12.4 ppg, 3.6 apg), So. G Brandon Boggs (10.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg), Sr. F Harouna Mutombo (13.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg), So. F Tawasaki King (7.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg)

ELON: Sr. G Drew Spradlin (9.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg), So. G Jack Isenbarger (13.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg), So. G Sebastian Koch (9.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg), So. F Ryley Beaumont (6.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg), So. F Lucas Troutman (12.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg)