Elon MBB Falls To Charleston, 71-53, On Saturday

ELON, N.C. – Elon University men’s basketball fell to Charleston, 71-53, on Saturday, Feb. 13.

BOX SCORE

THE RUNDOWN
– Elon came out of the gates firing, jumping out to an early 10-2 lead. Darius Burford got things rolling, getting to the rim for an easy layup and the first points of the game. Ikenna Ndugba followed that up with five quick points of his own to put Elon on top 7-2. Federico Poser capped the Phoenix’s run with a smooth hook shot to bring the score to 10-2 with just over 16 minutes to play before halftime.
– Despite the Phoenix’s hot start, Charleston ended the half on a 39-10 run to take a 41-20 lead into the break.
– Trailing 53-22 with just under 17 minutes remaining in the game, Hunter McIntosh drilled his first three of the day to spark an 8-0 Elon burst. A quick layup by Ikenna Ndugba followed by another McIntosh three capped the spurt that brought Elon within 53-30.
– With the Phoenix down 65-34, Darius Burford and JaDun Michael knocked down back-to-back threes to cut the deficit to 65-40. Elon then stepped to the line and drilled nine free-throws to cap the 15-2 run that brought the score to 67-49 with just under four minutes to play.

NOTES
– Darius Burford led the way for the Phoenix, setting a new career-high with 12 points, adding four rebounds and two steals on the day.
– Ikenna Ndugba added 12 points, four rebounds and three assists in a team-high 34 minutes for Elon.
– JaDun Michael logged career-highs in points (7), rebounds (6) and minutes (21) in the loss.
– Elon held a 40-35 advantage on the glass, including a 9-5 advantage in offensive rebounds.

UP NEXT
Elon returns to action tomorrow for game two against Charleston. That matchup is slated for a 1 p.m. tipoff and will be streamed live on FloSports.