Elon MBB Phoenix Returns Home to Face Central Penn on Tuesday

ELON, N.C. – Elon University men’s basketball returns to Schar Center on Tuesday, Nov. 27, to open a five-game homestand against Central Penn. The game will tip-off at 7 p.m.

GAME NOTES

COVERAGE
You can watch the game live on Phoenix All-Access at elonphoenix.com/live, or you can follow the action on CAA.tv and the CAA.tv app. The Phoenix All-Access and Elon IMG Sports Network coverage will be provided by Taylor Durham and Brian Morris. The Elon IMG Sports Network audio broadcast pregame show will begin at 6:30 p.m.

THE MATCHUP
• Tuesday’s matchup against the Knights will be the fourth meeting between the two schools.
• Elon has outscored Central Penn 332-211 in the previous three contests.
• In the most recent matchup, the Phoenix defeated the Knights 89-60 on Dec. 28, 2016 inside Alumni Gym. Elon had five players finish in double figures, led by Steven Santa Ana’s and Tyler Seibring’s 18 points.
• In the second meeting, Elon defeated Central Penn 117-73 on Dec. 7, 2014 inside Alumni Gym. – The Phoenix set a school record scoring 126 points in a 126-78 rout of the Knights on Dec. 19, 2013 in the first-ever meeting.

ABOUT ELON
• Elon returns 11 total players and three of its five starters from a year ago.
• The Phoenix returns four of its top six scorers, including its 2017-18 leading scorer and rebounder in Seibring (15.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg).
• The program’s senior class is made up of five players in Seibring, Swoope, Santa Ana, Sheldon Eberhardt and Karolis Kundrotas. The four players have combined to play in a total of 437 games and make 209 starts.
• Elon made four new additions to the squad for 2018-19 in first-year players Chuck Hannah, Andy Pack, Federico Poser and Kris Wooten.
• The Phoenix has been predicted to finish eighth in the league as the CAA released its preseason men’s basketball poll on Oct. 17, during the conference’s digital media day. Tyler Seibring collected preseason All-CAA honors as he was named to the second team.

SCHAR CENTER
• Elon University men’s basketball will play its games inside its new facility, Schar Center, this season after calling Alumni Gym its home since since 1950.
• Schar Center officially opened its doors in July of 2018 and was dedicated on October, 19, 2018. The 161,000-square-foot convocation center has a current capacity of 5,100-seats.
• Not only does it serve as the home for Phoenix basketball and volleyball programs, but it also serves as an event venue that will provide a large gathering space for a wide variety of major campus events such as convocations and concerts.
• The facility is named for Dwight and Martha Schar, of Palm Beach, Fla., parents of Stuart Schar ’16 and Spencer Schar ’19.
• Among Elon’s most generous donors for the project, the Schars have contributed $13 million to the university to provide lead funding for the convocation center and the expanded School of Communications facilities, which features Dwight C. Schar Hall as the centerpiece.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2018-19
• Elon’s 110th season of basketball will open with a marquee matchup as the Elon Phoenix hosts the No. 8-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels in the program’s first regular season basketball game inside Schar Center. The game is set for Friday, Nov. 9, on ESPNU.
• Prior to that contest, the Phoenix will open the 2018-19 season on Nov. 6 on the road at Manhattan. Elon will then compete in the Tiger Thanksgiving Classic, Nov. 22-24, at Pacific University on Thanksgiving week.
• During its non-conference slate, the Phoenix plays host to seven home contests, which include North Carolina, Boston University, Furman, UNCG and Canisius.
• Elon opens CAA play with a pair of home contests against Towson (Dec. 28) and James Madison (Dec. 30).

SCOUTING CENTRAL PENN
• Central Penn is a non-NCAA institution and is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) at the Division II level.
• The Knights have already faced two NCAA Division I opponents this season falling at Howard 99-71 on Nov. 11 and 77-52 at Maryland Eastern Shore on Nov. 24. They will also face Campbell and Davidson this season.
• Noah Baylor has been leading the Knights averaging 11.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game and has also tallied four blocks in four games.
• David Archer inherited a Knights team that went to the USCAA D2 national championship game in
2015-16. He won 25 games and a No. 2 seed in the 2016-17 national tournament while reaching the Final Four. He won 19 games last season.

UP NEXT
The Phoenix continues its five game homestand on Saturday, Dec. 1, when it hosts Boston University at 7 p.m. inside Schar Center. The game will be aired online on Phoenix All-Access.