ELON, N.C. — The Elon men’s basketball team will look for its fifth straight win at home when it returns from a three-game road swing to battle the Western Carolina Catamounts in a televised contest on Saturday, February 18 at 3 p.m. The Phoenix aims to sweep the season series after defeating the Catamounts in Cullowhee in late January. The game can be seen on the SoCon Sports Network (UNC-TV in local areas) and on ESPN3 with Darren Goldwater calling the play-by-play and Dean Keener providing the color commentary.
Site: Elon, N.C.
Arena: Alumni Gym
Series: Elon leads, 52-38
Streak: Elon has won one
Radio: WPCM 920 AM — Taylor Durham and Dick Stewart will call the action
Twittter: @elonscores
FREE THROWS
• The Phoenix is currently two games back of UNCG for the North Division lead with three games to play in the regular season.
• After winning three straight at home, Elon is on a three-game losing skid on the road.
• Elon has won its last four on Robertson Court and is 9-3 at home this season.
• A win against Western Carolina would match Elon’s win total for all of last season (14).
• Elon has been slow to start in each of its last two games, trailing by double figures at the break, but has shot above 60 percent in the second half in each of those contests.
• Sophomore Jack Isenbarger is just one three-pointer away from moving on to Elon’s single-season top 10 list with 61. The single-season record at Elon is 82, set by Matt Nowlin in 2003-04.
• Elon’s eight SoCon victories are the most during the Matt Matheny era and most since a nine-win campaign in 2007-08.
• Elon is 10-3 when scoring 70 or more points and 3-10 when scoring 69 or less points.
• Elon has held opponents to under 40 percent shooting in nine of 13 wins this year — but opponents have shot 40 percent or better in all but one of the 13 losses.
• Lucas Troutman moved into Elon’s all-time career blocks list with two swats against South Carolina. The sophomore now has 80 blocks and is in seventh place all-time at Elon.
• The Phoenix has shot better than its opponent in 11 of its 13 wins this year.
LAST TIME OUT
• A 24-1 first-half Wofford run proved too big a mountain to climb as the Phoenix suffered a 72-59 loss to the Terriers on Wednesday evening.
• Elon went scoreless from the field for nine minutes as Wofford built its lead to as many as 22 points. Elon fired 63 percent in the second half, compared to a 32 percent clip in the opening 20 minutes.
• Wofford connected on 16-of-27 field goals to begin the game before the Elon defense held the Terriers to 8-of-26 (30.8 percent) coming out of the locker room. Wofford maintained its lead by making 15-18 from the line after the break.
• Jack Isenbarger led the Phoenix with 17 points on 8-of-13 from the field.
ELON VS. WESTERN CAROLINA
• Elon got its first win in Cullowhee since 2007 with a 71-63 victory on January 26. Jack Isenbarger netted 26 points on five three-pointers and the Phoenix defense limited WCU to 35 percent shooting, 22 percent from beyond the arc.
• Western snapped a three-game losing streak with a 70-53 victory over The Citadel on Thursday.
• The last time Elon won back-to-back games against the Catamounts was in the 2006-07 season when the Phoenix swept the season series.