ELON, N.C. — The Elon men’s basketball team will be looking to stay unbeaten in Southern Conference action when it travels down the road to face off against the UNCG Spartans at the Greensboro Coliseum on Monday, December 5. Tip time is set for 7 p.m. in Elon’s final league game before the holidays.
Site: Greensboro, N.C.
Arena: Greensboro Coliseum
Series: Elon leads, 17-13
Streak: Elon has won three
Radio: WPCM 920 AM — Taylor Durham and Dick Stewart will call the action
FREE THROWS
• With a 5-2 record, Elon is off to the best start in Division I history. Elon has matched the best start since 1996-97. With a win today, Elon would open the season with the best record since the 1991-92 team began the year 6-2.
• Elon has held opponents to under 40 percent shooting in each one of its wins this year. The Phoenix ranks first in the SoCon in field goal percentage defense (.366) and in three-point field goal percentage defense (.264).
• While Elon defends the long ball well, the Phoenix also shoots the three-point shot with accuracy. Elon ranks third in the league in three-point field goal percentage (.348).
• After averaging 10.0 three-pointers through the first three games, Elon is winning without relying on the long ball and has hit just 6.0 per game in last four contests.
• The 2011-12 Phoenix is a youthful team with only one senior on the roster. Four sophomores and a freshman have each earned starting nods this year.
• Lucas Troutman moved into Elon’s all-time career blocks list with two swats against South Carolina. The sophomore now has 57 blocks in just over a year of action, and is one block away from being tied for ninth all-time at Elon. He is third in the SoCon with 1.4 bpg.
LAST TIME OUT
• Elon’s fifth win of the season came in dramatic fashion as rookie Austin Hamilton banked in a last-second three-pointer to lift the Phoenix to a 51-48 win against Navy on Saturday.
• Both teams shot poorly, but Elon held Navy to 27.5 percent shooting, the lowest by a Phoenix opponent this season.
• Elon forced 18 turnovers and turned the miscues into 20 points.
• Jack Isenbarger scored in double figures for the third straight game with a team-best 14 points.
• The Phoenix overcame a 42-31 deficit on the glass in the victory.
ELON VS. UNCG
• Elon will be looking for its fourth straight victory against UNCG after winning the season series last year. The Phoenix won 80-65 last time it visited the Greensboro Coliseum to face UNCG. Elon then closed its home campaign with a 99-90 win against the Spartans.
• Sophomore Sebastian Koch scored a career-high 23 points against UNCG last season.
• The Phoenix is looking to open SoCon play with a 2-0 record for the first time since the 2006-07 season when Elon defeated Western Carolina and Furman in the first two games.
• UNCG is on a three-game losing streak and is coming off back-to-back league losses, going on the road and falling to Appalachian State and Western Carolina.