Elon MBB Begins February with Home Test against Delaware

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men’s basketball team looks to build on its CAA road victory at Northeastern on Thursday night, Feb. 4, as it faces the Delaware Blue Hens for the first time this season inside Alumni Gym.

You can listen to the game live on WSML 104.5 FM/1200 AM with Taylor Durham and Ryan Meizinger on the Elon IMG Sports Network. Pre-game coverage on WSML in Alumni Gym begins at 6:30 p.m. The action will be video streamed online on Phoenix All-Access. Justin Biegel will be on play-by-play and Bryan Anderson will join him with color commentary.

LAST TIME OUT
Elon rallied from a 15-point first half deficit and used solid defense in the second half to earn a 71-67 win at Northeastern on Saturday. Dmitri Thompson led the Phoenix with 19 points and had a key steal with nine seconds remaining to seal the win. Tyler Seibring had his second double-double of the year with 11 points and 11 rebounds. In the second half, Elon held Northeastern to 28.6 (8-28) percent shooting. The Phoenix outrebounded the Huskies 44-29 in the game and scored 13 second-chance points with 13 offensive rebounds. The Phoenix struggled from behind the arc going 3-of-23 from deep, but assisted 18 of the team’s 23 baskets.

SERIES HISTORY
Thursday will be the fourth all-time meeting between the Elon Phoenix and Delaware Blue Hens and third time the sides have met since Elon joined the CAA last season. Last year, the Phoenix swept the season series against the Blue Hens in its inagural CAA season. In Alumni Gym on Jan. 24, 2015, Elon defeated Delaware 94-82. The Phoenix narrowly defeated the Blue Hens in the Bob Carpenter Center, with a 83-75 overtime win on Feb. 21, 2015. The first all-time meeting between Elon and Delaware was Feb. 8, 1934, when the maroon and gold claimed a 45-22 decision.

A WINNING SENIOR CLASS
Elon’s senior class of Sam Hershberger, Tony Sabato, Tanner Samson and Wes Brewer have been a part of 67 wins during their time with the program since the 2012-13 season. They have a combined record of 67-53 since their first year with the program. The most wins posted by a senior class during Elon’s Division I era is 69 total victories, which was reached by last year’s 2015 class of Austin Hamilton, Kevin Blake, and Ryan Winters.

LET IT FLY
This season, 36.8 percent (232-of-631) of Elon’s made baskets have come from behind the three point line. The Phoenix is shooting 34.5 percent from deep and are averaging a CAA-best 10.1 triples a game, ranked ninth in the NCAA this season. Elon’s 18 3-pointers against the Alabama State Hornets on Dec. 16 was the most a Phoenix team has made in a game during the coach Matheny era. Tanner Samson has a team-high 66 made treys this season, while Dainan Swoope is behind him with 49. A total of 10 Phoenix has made a bucket from deep this season.

DISHING IT OUT
Elon as a team is averaging 15.9 assists per game this season, which is second the CAA and 44th in the NCAA. Luke Eddy is leading the team with 113 assists, 4.9 assists per game. He is second in the CAA in both categories.

FRESH IMPACT
Elon’s freshmen have made an impact during the 2015-16 season scoring 36.4 percent of Phoenix points this season. 652 of the team’s 1790 points have been scored by a freshmen, which includes 228 from Dainan Swoope, 214 from Tyler Seibring, Steven Santa Ana has tabbed 172, Karolis Kundrotas has scored 26 and Sheldon Eberhardt has 12. The three freshmen that have had the most playing time has made an impact for the Phoenix in conference play. Tyler Seibring has averaged 11.8 points and 5.9 rebounds in the first 10 games. Prior to his hand injury, Steven Santa Ana notched 10.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in six CAA contests. Dainan Swoope is averaging 8.1 points in conference play.

WINS AGAINST CAA TEAMS
The Phoenix earned its fourth CAA win of the season on Saturday, Jan. 30, at Northeastern. Elon won its first three CAA games this season on Jan. 16, at James Madison on Jan. 7 and against Drexel on Jan. 2 in Alumni Gym. Elon earned six total victories in CAA play last season, and showed promise in its first season with some key wins against top-ranked opponents in the CAA in its inaugural season.

POTENT OFFENSE
Elon ranks in the top-three in the CAA in multiple offensive categories. In game averages, the Phoenix is third in scoring (77.8 ppg), second in assists (15.9 apg), and first in three-pointers per game (10.1).

317 AND COUNTING
The Elon men’s basketball program has made at least one three-point field goal in 317 consecutive games (not including exhibition games). The Phoenix currently averages 10.1 mades three pointers a game this season. 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.

UP NEXT
The Phoenix face the Towson Tigers on Saturday, Feb. 6, at 6 p.m. The game will be televised on American Sports Network (ASN). Next week, Elon heads to Wilmington, N.C. to take on UNCW on Thursday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m., followed by a return home on Saturday, Feb. 13, to host College of Charleston at 7 p.m.