Elon Men’s Basketball Battles In-State Foe Charlotte on Monday Night

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men’s basketball team concludes an early homestand on Monday night, Nov. 14, hosting in-state foe Charlotte inside Alumni Gym. The game is schedule for 8 p.m. start time. The Phoenix and the 49ers matchup is the second game of an Elon men’s and women’s doubleheader. The women’s game against Rutgers will tip off at 5:30 p.m.

GAME NOTES

COVERAGE
Watch the action exclusively on Phoenix All-Access as Matt Krause and Alex Hager will be on the broadcast. You can also listen to the action on the Elon IMG Sports Network on 104.5 FM, 1200 AM or on the TuneIn app. Taylor Durham and Ryan Meizinger will have the call from Alumni Gym.

NEW BAG POLICY AT ALUMNI GYM
Beginning this season, Elon University has implemented a new policy for bags entering Alumni Gym. All bags entering the arena will be checked before fans reach the ticket booths at the facility. Multiple lines will be available and there will be specific lines for fans entering with no bags.

The following items will be prohibited from Alumni Gym:
• Weapons
• Explosives
* Alcoholic beverages
• Outside food and beverages
• Smoking and tobacco products
• E-cigarettes
• Containers or coolers
• Flags on poles
• Hoverboards
• Pets (except service animals)

BASKETBALL GAME DAY
For more information on ticketing, parking and directions to Alumni Gym, please visit the Basketball Game Day web page.

LAST TIME OUT
Elon (1-0) opened the 2016-17 season on Friday night routing the William Peace Pacers, 101-68, at Alumni Gym. Tyler Seibring led the way with a career-high 19 points. Dainan Swoopematched a career-high with 16 points. Dmitri Thompson, Sheldon Eberhardt and Brian Dawkinsalso finished in double figures for the Phoenix. The Phoenix used a 20-5 run over a 6:43 span in the second half to create separation, holding the Pacers to just two field goals during the surge, to take an 80-55 lead with 8:14 on the clock. Following a William Peace layup by Jay Hicks, Dmitri Thompson’s steal and breakaway dunk started a late second half Phoenix run over the final 7:40 of the game. Elon used a 12-2 run over the final 4:42 to seal the 101-68 victory.

SERIES HISTORY
Monday marks the sixth all-time meeting between Elon and Charlotte and fifth during the program’s Division I era. Charlotte leads the all-time series 3-2. Last season, Elon defeated the 49ers 85-74 last season in Halton Arena. It was the Phoenix’s first win against Charlotte in the program’s Division I era. The first meeting between the two teams was a 1970 NAIA District Championship consolation game, where Elon defeated Charlotte, 77-70.

ABOUT ELON
Elon returns an experienced squad of 14 players and four starters from a team that finished 16-16 overall and 7-11 in conference play in 2015-16. The Phoenix brings back 11 players who saw action in 16 or more games and six players who averaged over eight points a game last season. Elon welcomes back four starters in seniors Luke Eddy (10.5 ppg) and Christian Hairston (8.6 ppg), as well as junior Dmitri Thompson (9.9 ppg) and sophomore Tyler Seibring(9.8 ppg). Ryder Bowline and Patrick Ryan join Eddy and Hairston to make up this year’s senior class.

Elon returns 84% of its scoring from last season and 36% of those points came from the 2015-16 freshman class (Tyler Seibring, Steven Santa Ana, Dainan Swoope, Karolis Kundrotas, and Sheldon Eberhardt).

Highlighting the four returning starters is 2016 CAA All-Rookie Team selection, sophomore forward Tyler Seibring, who finished fourth on the team in scoring (9.8 ppg) and first in CAA points per game (11.8). Elon also made one addition in the offseason, bringing freshman guard Seth Fuller (Dublin, Ohio) into the fold. Luke Eddy and Christian Hairston will bring senior leadership on the floor. Eddy finished third in the CAA in assists last season and his 144 assists ranked 10th most in single-season program history.

HEAD COACH MATT MATHENY
Head coach Matt Matheny won his 109th career-game at Elon on Friday against William Peace. He is currently tied with Mark Simons for the fifth most in program history. A win would put Matheny fifth in the program’s rankings for wins by an Elon head coach.

HIGH POWERED OFFENSE
Elon brings back most of its players from last season that contributed to the fourth-highest scoring team in the CAA last season. The Phoenix averaged 75.9 points per game, were second in the CAA with 15.3 assists per game, and proved to be a threat behind the arc averaging a league-best 9.5 triples per game. Dainan Swoope and Tyler Seibring contributed to Elon’s success behind the three-point line ranking 12th (60 3PTM) and 13th (59 3PTM) respectively. Luke Eddy also finished with 144 assists last season, which is the 10th-most assists in Elon single-season record books.

SCOUTING CHARLOTTE
The Charlotte 49ers opened its season with a 101-88 victory against Newberry College on Friday, Nov. 11. Jon Davis scored 28 points to lead the 49ers. Second year head coach Mark Price and the 49ers welcome back six letterwinners from an 14-19 2015-16 season, led by senior guard Braxton Ogbueze (14.5 ppg) and sophomore guards Jon Davis (11.7 ppg) and Andrien White (10.7 ppg), as well as senior forward Anthony Vanhook (7.4 ppg and 4.2 rpg). Redshirt junior center Benas Griciunas recorded three double-figure scoring games and one double-figure rebounds games last season. Redshirt freshman seven-foot-one center Lukas Bergang and six-foot-six guard Austin Ajukwa, who sat out last season after transferring from Clemson, and six-foot-seven guard Hudson, who sat out last season after transferring from TCU, will all be able to play this season after redshirting last year. Charlotte also adds seven newcomers to the fold. The 49ers are picked to finish eighth in Conference USA this season.

UP NEXT
Elon will hit the road on Thursday, Nov. 17, for a first-ever meeting against the South Florida Bulls inside the Sun Dome. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and will be broadcasted on ESPN3. After Tampa, Fla., Elon will head to DeKalb, Ill. to take part in the NIU Thanksgiving Classic, Nov. 23-26.