Updated as of 10:48 p.m. on Dec. 7 to include more photos.
The Elon University men’s basketball team put on an offensive clinic, beating Wofford College 79-56 on Dec. 7 at Schar Center.
Wofford may have been first to put points on the board, but it was the Phoenix who dominated in the opening minutes. Elon got its first points of the night off a 3-pointer from redshirt sophomore Andrew King, who immediately followed it up with a putback basket in the paint.
Soon after, an impressive sequence occurred that saw a ferocious denial at the basket by graduate student Matthew Van Komen followed by a Nick Dorn 3-pointer despite being fouled. It got an excited Schar Center crowd roaring after a long absence from the team’s home court thanks to a six game road trip. Van Komen went on to accumulate five more blocks, racking up six total and ended up one short of the program record. Going into the game, Van Komen was 13th in the nation in total blocks.
“We funnel a lot of the guys driving into him, and we trust that he can block shots,” senior Sam Sherry said in the postgame press conference.
Van Komen also had 12 rebounds, which head coach Billy Taylor attributed as a sign of his growth over the course of the season.
“I think you're seeing his confidence grow and grow in front of us,” Taylor said. “You can just tell he's more comfortable out there. He's rebounding at a really high level. So not only is he contesting shots, but he's getting back in the mix and coming up with traffic rebounds, and that’s a game changer for us.”
Aggressive defense and pressing allowed the Phoenix to push on the gas pedal, forcing Wofford into a 5-and-half minute scoring drought and Elon went on an early 11-0 run. Dorn led the scoring effort and scored 9 points in the opening half. Wofford struggled to score, going 30% from the field in the first half and 5-19 from beyond the arc.
However, once Wofford found the net again, it began to climb back — eventually tying it at 17-17. This comeback occurred partly due to sloppy play by the Phoenix. Elon had four turnovers in quick succession, ending with 10 turnovers in the first half. Despite strong shooting and a 61% field goal percentage in the first half, Elon’s turnovers kept Wofford in the game.
Another block by Van Komen followed by a heave to Sherry on the opposite side of the court got Elon’s momentum back as the team went on a 8-0 run and went into the half leading 37-29.
Sherry came out of the gates hot following halftime, scoring Elon’s first 7 points of the half and helped push the lead to 13. Sherry was electric in the second half, providing a dual threat prowess. He was a force in paint but also racked up 3 3-pointers in the second half. His trio of 3-pointers was a career-high for 3-pointers in a game. He ended up with 22 points and 4 rebounds. Sherry said he spent a lot of time during the summer working on his body and his 3-point shot. Taylor praised Sherry’s dedication to improving his 3-point shot and said he was proud of how far he has come.
“He worked exceptionally hard on his three point shot and being comfortable stepping out and spacing the floor, so you're seeing all the work and all the hours that he's put in,” Taylor said.
As Sherry began to dominate inside and outside the paint, Wofford struggled to regain the momentum they had found earlier. The Terriers made only 2 of their first 14 shots from the field to start the half. As Wofford’s shots refused to fall, Elon expanded its lead and went on a 14-2 run and led by 20. A highlight of this run was a lob from junior TK Simpkins to his twin brother sophomore TJ Simpkins for a fast-break basket.
Throughout the rest of the second half, Elon continued to pile on the points and finished 50% from beyond the 3-point line. The Phoenix came into the game averaging 35.4% from the 3-point line. Taylor said the team’s improvement on the turnovers in the second half allowed the Phoenix to pull away.
“We stopped turning the ball over in the second half,” Taylor said. “So we're getting stops defensively and then running an efficient offense, which allowed us to expand the lead.”
Elon continued to hold Wofford’s defense, forcing the Terriers to only make 9 of its 39 3-point attempts. Wofford came into the game averaging 75 points per game, but Elon’s defense gave an impressive performance. Taylor attributed the team’s defensive performance to its ability to mix man-to-man and zone defense.
“You just try to give them different looks,” Taylor said. “I think our guys have done a good job being able to transition from man into zone and mixing our defenses and trying to keep teams off balance, using our court pressure as well.”
As the final seconds ticked down, the fans inside Schar Center gave the team a standing ovation and waved their towels as Elon secured its second home win of the season. Sherry appreciated the energy from the crowd and said it was like having another player out there.
“It's like a sixth man having that crowd out there supporting us, being loud, it’s very satisfying to have them out there on our side,” Sherry said.
It was another key win for an Elon squad that is on a hot streak as of late. Elon has won three straight, which is tied for the longest win streak under Taylor. Elon was recently ranked No. 82 in the NCAA NET rankings on Dec. 2, which is a program record. Taylor said he loved the energy of Schar Center and hopes more people come to watch the team.
“There was great energy in the building tonight,” Taylor said. “Felt like more than the number on the sheet. But love what our guys are doing, and hopefully people come out to keep watching us play.”
The Phoenix play next against Virginia University of Lynchburg at 7 p.m. Dec. 14 at Schar Center.