GREENSBORO, N.C. - Elon built a comfortable lead by driving down the lane in the first half and turning offensive rebounds into second-chance scoring in the second, and the visiting Phoenix kept UNCG winless with an 80-65 verdict at the Greensboro Coliseum on Monday.
Senior guard Chris Long went 16-for-20 at the foul line in a 21-point night for the Phoenix, which saw a 14-point edge shaved to four but withstood the Spartan run and ultimately pulled away. Elon (8-8, 2-3 Southern Conference) made 29-of-38 free throws in all and outrebounded the Spartans by 13.
In all, the Phoenix scored on 18 of 22 possessions in a stretch spanning halftime and built a 50-36 lead on Spradlin's jumper off the left baseline with 16:49 left.
Elon missed shots on eight possessions in the first 10 minutes of the half, but it got second-chance points on five of those situations. That contributed to a 46-33 rebounding edge on the night and had a cumulative and draining impact on the Spartans, whose task in overcoming the deficit was hard enough under any circumstances.
It all meant the Spartans faced a second-half deficit in the teens for the third time in five days. They made another commendable run, and the Phoenix appeared to help the Spartan cause when Scott Grable was assessed a technical foul for excessive disagreement with referee Bryan Kersey at the 8:44 mark. Korey Van Dussen hit both of the free throws, but a failed front end of a one-and-one on the subsequent possession stalled the momentum.
UNCG did get the deficit down to 63-59 on Trevis Simpson's runner with 7:06 left. In order to secure the comeback, the Spartans would have to succeed in a gambling, trapping defense that conceded the occasional open man in the name of contesting passes and generating open-floor turnovers. Their margin for error offensively would remain low as well.
Elon freshman Jack Isenbarger took advantage of the open space by flashing across the middle of the lane for a runner that made it a six-point game, and the Spartans could get no closer.
Elon, a 73-percent foul-shooting team, is less likely to give up a late advantage than many foes, and that was the deal again on Monday.