ELON, N.C. – Elon University men’s basketball returns to the friendly confines of historic Alumni Gym on Thursday night, Jan. 11, hosting the reigning 2017 CAA Champion UNCW. The 18th all-time meeting between the Phoenix and the Seahawks will tip off at 7 p.m.
COVERAGE
Watch the Phoenix in action against the Seahawks on Phoenix All-Access or listen to the Elon IMG Sports Network broadcast on WSJS 104.5 FM and 1200 AM. You can access both broadcasts on elonphoenix.com. Matt Krause and Mason Stalph will have the call on the video broadcast. Taylor Durham and Brian Morris will call the action on the radio broadcast with the pregame show starting at 6:30 p.m.
THE SERIES
• Thursday marks the 18th all-time meeting between Elon and UNCW. The Seahawks have won six of the last eight meetings and have an 9-8 lead in the series. UNCW is 8-2 against the Phoenix in Elon’s Division I era.
• The Phoenix and Seahawks split the regular season series in 2016-17, with Elon winning the most recent matchup 77-76 on Feb. 11, 2017 inside Alumni Gym. It was Elon’s first win against UNCW since Feb. 28, 2015, as the Phoenix defeated the Seahawks 74-55 on Senior Day inside Alumni Gym. Elon is 2-1 against UNCW inside Alumni Gym since the Phoenix joined the CAA in 2014-15.
• UNCW won the first matchup last season inside Trask Coliseum with a 79-63 win on Jan. 2, 2017.
FINAL SEASON OF ALUMNI GYM
• The 2017-18 season marks the 67th and final year of competition inside historic Alumni Gym as the program is set to relocate to the Schar Center for the 2018-19 campaign. The arena opened its doors in 1950.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
• Elon remains undefeated at home in its final season inside Alumni Gym with an 6-0 record overall and 2-0 in league play.
• The women’s basketball team is also undefeated at home this season with a 6-0 record as well.
• Elon is 1 of only 8 NCAA Dvision I programs this season with both men’s and women’s programs undefeated at home (Duke, Arizona State, Florida State, Mississippi State, Houston, Elon, Stephen F. Austin, Morgan State).
• Since the 2011-12 season, Elon has a 65-28 record (31-8 vs. non-conference teams) inside Alumni Gym. Elon has sold out Alumni Gym 19 times under head coach Matt Matheny, with its most recent sellout coming on Feb. 25, 2017. Matheny is 13-6 all-time in front of sellout crowds in Alumni Gym.
A LOOK AT ELON
• The Phoenix has a 11-6 record overall and 3-1 mark in CAA action after bouncing back from Friday’s loss at Northeastern with a victory at Hofstra on Sunday.
• Elon is off to its best start to conference play as a member of the CAA and its first 3-1 start to league action since 2013-14.
• Tyler Seibring and Dmitri Thompson each scored their 1,000th career point in Sunday’s win at Hofstra.
• Elon is averaging 74.5 ppg and allowing 72.8 ppg thus far through 17 games. The team has only been held to under 70 points 5 times and under 60 points just twice this season.
• Offensively, Elon ranks 2nd in the CAA averaging 10.6 made three-pointers and 3rd in with a 36% shooting percentage from behind the arc. Elon also is 2nd in the league averaging with 15.7 assists per contest.
• The Phoenix continues to improve defensively, allowing teams to shoot 41.9% from the floor which ranks 2nd in the CAA. Elon is also 1st in the league in defensive rebounds, averaging 29.1 per game.
• Elon is 2nd in NCAA Division I in fouls committed per game. The Phoenix averages just 13.4 personal fouls per game.
• Dainan Swoope is currently Elon’s leading scorer at 14.1 ppg, Tyler Seibring is 10th in the league averaging a team-best 6.1 rpg, while Swoope is 6th in the CAA with 3.5 apg.
• Eberhardt has the 4th-best assist/turnover ratio in the CAA with a 2.1 ratio with 54 assists to 26 turnovers.
• Elon completed its non-conference schedule with eight or more wins for the 4th straight year.
• The Phoenix returned all five starters and its top five scorers from a team that finished 18-14 overall and placed tied for fourth in the CAA with a 10-8 mark in 2016-17.
• Four of the five starters averaged double-figure scoring last season, led by 2016-17 All-CAA Second Team forward Tyler Seibring, who averaged a team-high 14.4 ppg.
• Dawkins, Thompson, Jack Anton, Jack George and Collin Luther make up this year’s senior class.
• Elon also made three additions this past offseason, bringing in freshman guard Nathan Priddy and forwards Simon Wright and Duje Radja into the fold.
JOINING THE 1,000-POINT CLUB
• Dmitri Thompson and Tyler Seibring each joined the 1,000-point club on Sunday, Jan. 7, at Hofstra.
• Seibring was the first to join, becoming the 40th player overall and the 11th junior to reach the mark.
• Thompson followed becoming the 41st player in 109 seasons of Elon basketball to reach 1,000 career points.
• Dainan Swoope is the next in line to reach the mark. He has 904 career points, just 96 away. Brian Dawkins follows with 808 career points and needs 192 to join the club.
IT’S ALL ABOUT BALANCE
• Four of Elon’s starters are averaging doubles figures through 16 games this season. Swoope leads the way with 14.1 ppg, while Seibring is second averaging 13.5 ppg.
• Rounding out the top scorers are Brian Dawkins and Dmitri Thompson as each are averaging 11.7 per game.
• Elon has had 7 different players finish in double figures this season and 6 have led their team in scoring during games.
• The Phoenix has had at least three players finish in double-figures in 13 games this season. The only 4 times this season Elon had less in a game was two against Radford (11/22), at UNCG (12/7) and at Northeastern (1/5) and one at Canisius (12/17).
SWOOPE THERE IT IS
• Dainan Swoope is Elon’s leading scorer through 17 games averaging 14.1 ppg, nearly a 3-point increase from 11.7 ppg last season. Swoope has scored in double figures 13 times thus far and is currently 14th in the CAA in scoring.
• The junior point guard makes 84.5% of his shots from the free throw line, which is 3rd in the CAA, and he is 3rd in the league with 45 made three-pointers.
• Swoope is also 6th in the CAA in assists averaging 3.5 dimes per game this season. He ranks 7th in minutes per game 33.8.
• Before suffering an ankle injury in the second half at UNCG, Swoope was averaging 17.1 ppg in the first nine contests.
• He had 20+ points in four straight games from Nov. 17-22 and averaged 23.8 ppg during that span.
PROVIDING A SPARK
• Sheldon Eberhardt has made an impact off the bench, scoring in double-figures three times this season for the Phoenix.
• He posted a career-high 10 assists in Elon’s victory over Saint Peter’s, which was the first time an Elon player had 10 or more assists in a game since Chris Long had 10 on Feb. 19, 2011 against UNCG.
• Eberhardt is currently averaging 6.0 points and 3.4 assists per contest. He also has one of the highest shooting percentages on the team at 50.6%.
LET IT FLY
• The Phoenix is 2nd in the CAA and 18th in the NCAA with 10.8 three-pointers made per game.
• Elon’s 183 total three-pointers this season ranks 1st in the CAA and 10th in the NCAA.
• The maroon and gold also ranks first in the league with 509 three-point attempts, which ranks 8th nationally.
374 AND COUNTING
• The Elon program has made at least one three-point field goal in 374 consecutive games (not including exhibition games). The matchup on Feb. 4, 2017 at College of Charleston marked the 350th consective game.
• 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 closes out week three of CAA action on Saturday, Jan. 13, hosting 2017-18 CAA preseason favorite College of Charleston at 7 p.m. inside Alumni Gym.