Elon MBB Set to Host Towson on Thursday Night

ELON, N.C. – Nearing the midway point of conference play, the Elon University men’s basketball team returns to Alumni Gym on Thursday night, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. to host the Towson Tigers. Admission is $18 for adults and $7 for youth 12 and under. Fans can watch the game live on Phoenix All-Access at elonphoenix.com.

ELON VS. TOWSON: Thursday marks the second meeting between Towson and Elon. The Tigers posted a 57-53 win over the Phoenix on Jan. 5 at SECU Arena in the first meeting between the two schools. Elon struggled to find a rhythm from beyond the arc in the win, finishing the game 3-of-16 from deep. Elon committed only nine turnovers, the second lowest for the Phoenix in a game this season (seven against William & Mary).

LOOKING BACK: Elon could not get over the hump in a 75-72 setback at JMU on Jan. 17. The Phoenix rallied from 11 points down to pull within one late in the game, but costly turnovers and missed shots proved to be the difference. Elon had a chance to tie the game on the final possession, but Austin Hamilton’s three pointer misfired as the buzzer sounded. Tanner Samson drained five threes and finished with a game-high 18 points.

LOOKING AHEAD: Elon returns home on Jan. 24 for its first ever meeting against the Blue Hens of Delaware. Tip time is 7 p.m. at Alumni Gym.

FROM DEEP: Tanner Samson sits at 200 threes in his career entering Thursday’s game, good for fifth in school history. With five more threes, Samson will pass Scottie Rice for fourth in school history. The Littleton, Colo., native trails only Jack Isenbarger (264), Chris Kiger (259), Sebastian Koch (242) and Rice (204) in career threes.

280 AND COUNTING: The Elon men’s basketball program has made at least one three-point field goal in 280 consecutive games. The last time Elon did not make a three in a game was Jan. 30, 2006, at Georgia Southern when the team went 0-of-14 from deep.

FIRST-YEAR SUCCESS: Rookie guard Elijah Bryant is leading all CAA freshmen in scoring at 14.1 points per game. Bryant has been tabbed CAA Rookie of the Week four times this season and garnered player of the week honors once.

HEAD COACH MATT MATHENY: The 2014-15 season marks the sixth year at Elon for head coach Matt Matheny. Matheny enters Thursday’s game with a career record of 87-91. Matheny was voted by the Southern Conference media as the Coach of the Year in 2012-13 and was a finalist for CollegeInsider.com’s Hugh Durham award, which honors the nation’s top mid-major coach.

ROAD TO BALTIMORE: The 2015 CAA Men’s Basketball Championship is scheduled for March 6-9 in Baltimore, Md., at Royal Farms Arena. Last year, Delaware topped William & Mary, 75-74, in the championship game to earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.