Elon Men’s Basketball Picks Up Key Road Win at App State

BOONE, N.C. – For the first time in 45 years, the Elon men’s basketball team swept the season series versus the Appalachian State Mountaineers, as the Phoenix claimed an 83-76 win inside the Holmes Convocation Center on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 1.

Elon’s (12-11, 5-3 Southern Conference) last season sweep of ASU was the 1968-69 season when both teams were members of the Carolinas Conference. The win marks Elon’s first at the Holmes Convocation Center in seven seasons. This year marks the first in school history Elon has won road games at ASU and Davidson in the same season.

“I’m happy that we were able to come out with a victory and I really feel good about the way our guys prepared,” said Elon head coach Matt Matheny. “I think we’re improving in the way we’re preparing for games and as a result, we had a good start. We really shot the ball well today and our guys are doing a great job of taking the right shots at the right time.”

Five Phoenix players scored in double figures for the second straight game, led by Lucas Troutman’s game-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field.

Elon knocked down 11-of-25 from long distance, as three-point snipers Sebastian Koch and Jack Isenbarger finished the game with 17 and 15, respectively. The duo combined for seven triples, as Isenbarger hit four and Koch hit three. Tanner Samson also got in on the party, hitting three from long range and finishing the game with 11 points.

Ryley Beaumont scored 14 for the maroon and gold on 6-of-12 shooting from the field. Beaumont enters Elon’s next game on Feb. 6 with 993 career points.

An early 8-2 run in the first period forced the Mountaineers to call a 30-second timeout, as a Beaumont jumper from the top of the key gave Elon a 17-8 advantage.

Elon led by as many as 15 points in the opening stanza, taking a 45-34 lead into the locker room at the half after hitting 62 percent (18-of-29) of its field goal attempts. Elon put three in double figures at the half, led by Isenbarger’s game-high 12 points, all coming from four makes from beyond the arc. Beaumont added 11 in the opening frame, while Troutman pitched in 10.

The Mountaineers trimmed Elon’s lead down to six points with less than 17 minutes remaining in the second session after a Mike Neal triple limited the Phoenix to a 50-44 lead.

On the next possession, Kevin Blake pushed Elon’s lead back to nine after completing an old-fashioned three-point play on a strong drive to the basket and made free throw to put his team ahead, 53-44.

The Phoenix led by as many as 17 points in the second half and kept the Mountaineers at arm’s length the rest of the way.

The Phoenix shot 56 percent from the field in the win and committed just eight turnovers, including just one in the first period.

Elon returns to action on Thursday, Feb. 6, against UNCG. Tip is slated for 7 p.m. inside Alumni Gym.