Elon Men’s Basketball Wins Seventh Straight; Troutman Reaches 1,000-Point Plateau

ELON, N.C. – Lucas Troutman scored his 1,000th career point and propelled the Elon University men’s basketball team to its seventh consecutive win on Saturday night, Feb. 2, with a 77-66 decision over Samford in Southern Conference action from Alumni Gym. Elon improves to 15-7 on the year and remains atop the SoCon North Division with an 8-2 mark. Samford falls to 7-15 (5-4 SoCon) with the setback.

Troutman joins classmate Jack Isenbarger as the second player to reach the milestone, as the Belton, S.C., native needed five points heading into tonight’s game to obtain the career mark. Troutman, who has scored in double figures in 21 straight, also recorded his third double-double of the season and tied a career-high in points after finishing the night with 26 to go along with 10 boards and six blocks. Troutman needs three blocks to set Elon’s all-time record held by Eric Hairston, as he now sits with 140 in his career.

“Reaching 1,000 points is definitely a blessing,” Troutman said. “It’s a great honor and achievement, but I wouldn’t be here without my teammates. There’s been so many people that have supported me along the way and I’m just thankful for that.”

Elon’s seven-game winning streak is the longest since the 2005-06 season and longest in-conference streak as a member of the SoCon or any league. Elon’s 15 wins equal the team’s total from all of last season.

“I thought we really dug in and fought our way to this victory,” said Phoenix head coach Matt Matheny. “We had a very good run in the second half that spread the lead out, but we still had to get stops against a very talented team. What’s encouraging for me is to see our guys happy in the locker room after the game, but knowing there is still room for improvement.”

Isenbarger ended the night with 22 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field, including a 4-of-7 clip from beyond the arc. The Zionsville, Ind., native also knocked down all eight of his free throw attempts, tying his season-high mark.

Elon shot 49 percent from the field and turned the ball over just eight times – tying the second lowest total in a game this season. On the flipside, Elon turned 17 miscues by the Bulldogs into 19 points.

Troutman went over the 1,000-point plateau with 9:24 remaining after burying a pair of free throws to give his team a 10-point advantage, 29-19.

At the break, the Phoenix led the Bulldogs, 45-38, after shooting 46 percent from the field. Elon knocked down 7-of-15 from beyond the arc, but Samford connected on just as many equalizers, going 7-of-10 from three. Isenbarger led all players with 17 points in the first 20 minutes, while Troutman tallied 13.

Elon opened up a 16-point lead with 9:10 to play after Sebastian Koch buried a three-pointer from the wing to give Elon a 64-48 lead. The Phoenix led by as many as 18 points in the second frame, keeping the Bulldogs at arm’s length to secure its seventh consecutive victory.

Connor Miller scored 21 points for Samford, while Clide Geffrard Jr. recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 boards.

The Phoenix plays its next two games on the road, beginning with a Feb. 7 game at Wofford. Two days later, Elon plays at Furman on Feb. 9. The team’s next home game is a Valentine’s Day showdown will Appalachian State on Feb. 14.