Elon Men’s Basketball Falls to #7 Duke in Greensboro

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Elon University men’s basketball team dropped its final game of the 2013 calendar year on Tuesday, Dec. 31, at the Greensboro Coliseum, dropping an 86-48 decision to the seventh-ranked Duke Blue Devils.

Nationally ranked Duke (11-2) stifled the Phoenix defensively, forcing Elon (7-7) into a season-high 22 turnovers in the setback. Elon shot a season low 35 percent from the field and hit just 5-of-21 from long distance. Elon’s 48 points are the lowest in a game since scoring 45 versus Davidson on Feb. 23, 2012.

“We did not take advantage of the opportunity to play on the big stage against a nationally ranked team today,” said Elon head coach Matt Matheny. “We did not play very well. Duke was ready to play, which is no surprise because Duke is always ready to play. They made it very difficult for us to get into our offense and it was even more difficult in live action then it was in preparation. I thought we defended pretty well aside from [Andre] Dawkins in the first half, but we just couldn’t get into our offense.”

Ryley Beaumont and Lucas Troutman each tallied a team-high 11 points for Elon in the setback. The Blue Devils put five in double figures, led by Andre Dawkins’ game-high 15 points. Elon held Duke’s Jabari Parker to a season-low 12 points.

Duke finished the game with a slight edge on the glass, 41-36, and won the battle in the paint, 34-24.

The Blue Devils forced a Phoenix timeout with 13:50 remaining in the first period after Dawkins hit a contested three from the wing to begin his efficient day and put Elon behind 14-2 early.

Dawkins continued to have the hot hand in the opening frame, leading Duke to a 35-18 advantage going into the locker room at intermission with a game-high 12 points, all of which came on makes from beyond the arc.

The Blue Devils held the Phoenix in check defensively in the first half, as the maroon and gold knocked down only 30 percent (7-of-23) from the field, including just 2-of-10 shots from long range.

Elon pulled as close as 17 points in the second half on a Luke Eddy basket with 16:04 remaining, but the Blue Devils’ lead proved to be insurmountable for the Phoenix.

Elon opens Southern Conference play on Jan. 4 in Cullowhee, N.C., versus Western Carolina. The Phoenix returns home on Jan. 6 to host Appalachian State.