SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Elon University men’s basketball team could not overcome a difficult night shooting at Wofford on Thursday, Feb. 7, dropping a 60-50 decision to the Terriers at Benjamin Johnson Arena.
Elon (15-8, 8-3 Southern Conference) shot 37 percent from the field and scored a season-low 50 points, as the Phoenix saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end. Tonight marks Elon’s first loss since a setback to Appalachian State on Jan. 12.
“I felt like Wofford was the more aggressive team tonight and as a result, they made it very difficult for us to get clean looks,” said Elon head coach Matt Matheny. “Defensively, we had some good stretches, but when you’re struggling to get good looks offensively, every shot that they made seemed even more impactful.”
The Phoenix shot a season-low 42 percent (5-of-12) from the free throw line, while the Terriers managed to knock down 74 percent (17-of-23) at the charity stripe.
Ryley Beaumont led the maroon and gold with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, while also hauling down a team-high seven boards.
Lucas Troutman scored in double figures for the 22nd straight game, ending the night with 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Sebastian Koch was the only other player to reach double figures, ending the night with 12 points.
Trailing by five points with 5:08 to play, the Phoenix came back to take a one-point lead with less than four minutes remaining and force a Wofford timeout after Jack Isenbarger knocked down a triple from the top of the key to give his squad a 19-18 edge.
Elon carried a 22-21 lead into the locker room at intermission, despite shooting just 36 percent from the field on 8-of-22 field goal attempts. Wofford was just as lackluster in the opening frame, shooting 35 percent on 9-of-26 field goal attempts. It marks only the second time in 14 games Elon has led at the half and lost.
The Terriers took their largest lead of the game at the time with 15:42 remaining after a Spencer Collins dunk forced a Phoenix timeout and put Elon behind, 33-27. Elon pulled back within one several minutes later, but an Indiana Faithful triple from the corner with less than 11 minutes left gave the Terriers a six-point edge, 40-36.
Wofford claimed a 12-point advantage after a Faithful fast-break layup following an Elon turnover put the Phoenix behind, 52-40, with 3:36 to play.
Elon pulled within seven points after a Koch three from the wing with less than three minutes to play, but the Terriers managed to keep the Phoenix at arm’s length down the stretch.
The Phoenix returns to action Saturday at 4 p.m. in Greenville, S.C., for a cross-divisional matchup with Furman.