ELON, N.C. — The Elon men’s basketball team will look to close a two-game road swing with a victory over Southern Conference North Division rival Appalachian State when the teams tip it up at 2 p.m. in the Holmes Center on Saturday in Boone, N.C. The Phoenix has lost six straight to the Mountaineers, but traveled to the mountains winners of its last two games and leading the league’s North Division. The Phoenix coaches will don their favorite sneakers on Saturday in support of the annual ‘Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers’ event to demonstrate their support for the American Cancer Society and its vision of a world with less cancer and more birthdays.
Site: Boone, N.C.
Arena: Holmes Center
Series: ASU leads, 49-42
Streak: Appalachian State has won six
Radio: WPCM 920 AM — Taylor Durham and Dick Stewart will call the action
Twitter: @elonscores
FREE THROWS
• With a 5-3 Southern Conference record, the Phoenix is currently in first place in the North Division. The last time Elon began league play with a 5-3 mark was in the 2007-08 season.
• Elon is 3-1 on the road against Southern Conference opponents this year. A victory against ASU would be Elon’s fourth SoCon road win of the year — something the Phoenix has never accomplished since joining the conference in 2003-04.
• Elon is 7-1 when scoring 70 or more points and 3-8 when scoring 69 or less points.
• Sophomore guard Jack Isenbarger moved into the starting lineup for the past three games — since doing so, he is averaging 20 ppg, 5 rpg and 3 apg. Prior to his first start, he had only reached double figures in two of the previous seven contests.
• Elon has held opponents to under 40 percent shooting in nine of 10 wins this year — but opponents have shot 40 percent or better in all but one of the nine losses.
• Four players are averaging double figures against SoCon foes this year — Jack Isenbarger (14.8), Lucas Troutman (12.6), Drew Spradlin (11.0) and Austin Hamilton (10.9).
• The Phoenix ranks second in the SoCon in field goal percentage defense (.404). Opponents are shooting only 32.1 percent from three-point territory.
• Lucas Troutman moved into Elon’s all-time career blocks list with two swats against South Carolina. He is averaging 1.5 bpg, second in the league. The sophomore now has 75 blocks in a year and a half of action and is in seventh place all-time at Elon.
• The Phoenix has shot better than its opponent in all 10 wins this year but has won the battle on the glass only three times this season.
LAST TIME OUT
• Elon put together a strong defensive effort at Western Carolina, holding the Catamounts to 35 percent shooting (22 percent from downtown) in a 71-63 win. Elon won in Cullowhee for the first time since 2007.
• The Phoenix won back-to-back games for the first time since mid-December.
• Elon nailed 8-of-17 from long range, led by Jack Isenbarger’s five three-pointers. Isenbarger had a season-high 26 points to go with six boards.
ELON VS. APPALACHIAN STATE
• Elon is looking for its first victory over App State since Feb. 14, 2008, having dropped the last six contests to the Mountaineers. Elon’s last victory in Boone was a 64-63 decision on Jan. 13, 2007.
• Sophomore Lucas Troutman faced App twice in his rookie season, averaging 16.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg and shooting 52 percent from the floor.
• ASU is coming off an overtime loss at UNCG and has dropped three of its last four games.
• There will be a familiar face on the Mountaineer bench as former Elon assistant coach Justin Gainey is an assistant coach for ASU.