The Appalachian State University men's basketball team defeated the Elon University men's basketball team 80-70 Saturday afternoon in a critical Southern Conference matchup. Reporter Tyler Ash gives us a rapid look at key players and moments in the game.
Stars of the Game
Senior forward Nathan Healy had a tremendous all-around game for the Mountaineers, scoring a team-high 22 points, while also adding 10 rebounds and four steals. Sophomore guard Mike Neal drained all three of the three pointers he attempted, connected on 6 of 9 from the free throw line as he finished with 17 points and three assists. Junior forward Tevin Baskin gave Appalachian State a huge spark off the bench, pouring in 16 points and posting 10 rebounds.
Junior forward Ryley Beaumount scored a career-high 26 points on a remarkably efficient 11 of 13 shooting from the field, while also corralling 12 rebounds for the Phoenix. Lucas Troutman, junior forward, was the only other member of the Phoenix to get into double digits with 14 points.
Turning Point I: Appalachian State Closes First Half Strong
Elon came out of the gate swinging, building an early double-digit lead on the road. Sophomore guard Austin Hamilton gave the Phoenix a 12-point lead after connecting on a layup with 10:41 left in the half as the Mountaineers trailed 21-9. The Mountaineers still trailed by 12 with less than five minutes to go in the half, 31-19, after sophomore guard Kevin Blake scored a bucket with 4:57 to go before intermission. But the Mountaineers hung strong and finished the half on a 15-3 run to tie the score at 34 at halftime. Three-pointers by Neal, Healy and freshman guard Chris Burgess keyed the Appalachian State run. Defending the three-point shot as become an issue for the Phoenix, as it allowed Appalachian State to connect on 5-of-11 (45.5 percent) from behind the arc in the first half and now in the past three halves has let opponents to shoot a ridiculous 52 percent (13-of-25) from behind the arc. The Phoenix went into the break tied despite shooting a whopping 57.1 percent from the field.
Turning Point II: Mountaineers control second half en route to victory
The Mountaineers trailed for almost the entirety of the first half but still entered the locker-room tied. After taking an early lead in this half, the Mountaineers never looked back, despite the Phoenix making constant pushbacks. Baskin nailed a three-pointer with 11:39 remaining in the contest to give the Mountaineers a three-point advantage, a lead they would never relinquish. The Phoenix fought hard and trailed by just two points after junior guard Sebastian Koch made both of his free throw attempts with 4:48 remaining in regulation to pull the Phoenix within two points, 63-61, but Neal hit a three pointer on the very next possession for the Mountaineers. Healy drained a three with 2:43 to go to give Appalachian State an eight point lead, 71-63, that proved to be too much for the Phoenix to overcome.
What It Means
Elon (8-7, 1-2) began a stretch of four games in seven nights with a loss. The Phoenix has now dropped six straight contests at the Holmes Center as they lost their second consecutive game in the conference. Playing in the first conference game in 42 days, the Phoenix were unable to beat Appalachian State, the first team from the Northern division of the Southern Conference Elon has played this season. It doesn't get any easier for the Phoenix as it travels to Western Carolina to play the Catamounts on Monday Night, who are currently undefeated in SoCon play. Appalachian State (6-8, 2-1) hosts the University of North Carolina at Greensboro on Monday night in a conference clash.