The Elon University men’s basketball team was defeated 74-63 by Hofstra in its second straight loss at home. Elon struggled to develop momentum offensively and never led after the first five minutes of the opening half. 

The Phoenix held an early 6-4 lead thanks to 4 points by graduate transfer center Matthew Van Komen. However, those were the only made field goals as the Phoenix went 2-11 through the first six minutes as Hofstra gradually began to increase its lead. They went up by double digits for the first time off a layup from freshman forward Joshua DeCady. 

DeCady was impactful for Hofstra in the first half with 14 points off the bench. Head coach Billy Taylor said it was important for Elon’s bench unit to have a bigger impact on the game. 

“Their guys came in to play,” Taylor said in the postgame press conference. “You need guys to come off the bench and impact the game with whatever it is that they do.”

Paul Barretto | Elon News Network
Andrew King defends a Hofstra guard at the top of the court in a game on Jan. 30.

Offensively, Elon had a difficult time attacking the basket. Although Hofstra only registered one blocked shot, they forced tough shots and only allowed 8 points in the paint. 

Sophomore guard TJ Simpkins said he believed Elon’s struggles were a combination of bad shot selection and good defense. Hofstra currently allows the 24th fewest points in the nation

“We had to improve our shot selection,” Simpkins said in the postgame press conference. “We weren’t getting our usual shots in the paint, and it felt like they were speeding us up.”

DeCady’s production helped Hofstra build its lead to as many as 14 points in the first half. Elon did manage to trail by only 7 points going into halftime thanks to a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by sophomore guard Nick Dorn. 

Elon’s offense seemed to gain some momentum in the second half, converting four of its first 7 shots. However, Hofstra managed to match Elon’s production before stretching its lead back up to 14. 

The Phoenix would spend the majority of the second half playing catch-up basketball with Hofstra. While Elon managed to get within single digits a few times, Hofstra had an answer thanks to 13 points in the period from sophomore guard Davis Cruz. Taylor said it was frustrating that Elon couldn’t contain Hofstra on defense. 

“We just couldn’t string together enough stops,” Taylor said. “We would get a score and then they come down and get an open three or layup. That’s where you can’t feel sorry for yourself since we put ourselves in this situation.”

Hofstra’s defense also shook off a rusty start to the second half. At one point, the Phoenix were held without a field goal for a six minute portion. 

Taylor said Hofstra’s physical defense in the paint caused Elon to shoot more three pointers than usual.

“I thought we forced some tough shots in the paint which led to a lot of threes,” Taylor said. “Some of them were very open, and some we just chased because we couldn’t get the drive-and-kicks.”

Paul Barretto | Elon News Network
Senior Sam Sherry posts up against a defender during a game against Hofstra on Jan. 30.

Elon attempted 30 3-pointers, which is six more than their season average of 24. They converted only 10 of them throughout the contest. 

The loss drops the Phoenix to 14-8 overall. It is the first time this season in which they lost consecutive games. 

Taylor said for Elon to get out of its slump, it will be a matter of going back to the aspects that have gotten the team to their current record. He also acknowledged this stretch as a tough time and said the team needs to work through it. 

Elon will conclude their four-game homestand against Northeastern at 7 p.m. Feb. 1 in Schar Center.