Drexel 71, Elon 64
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – A late surge by the Elon University men’s basketball team fell just short against eighth-seeded Drexel on Monday, Nov. 18, as the sixth-seeded Phoenix dropped a 71-64 decision on the first day of the 2013 NIT Season Tip-Off at the Rutgers Athletic Center.
Elon (2-2) trailed Drexel (2-1) by as many as 16 points with 13:28 to play, but the Phoenix caught fire and went on a 17-3 run over the next eight minutes to make it a two-point game, 52-50, following a Luke Eddy layup and made free throw with 5:48 to play.
But the Dragons responded, going to a 10-2 run to take a 62-52 lead with 2:15 to play. Drexel managed to hold on to the lead from that point forward, as Elon could pull no closer than four points down the stretch.
“Drexel is a very good team with veteran guards and they got the better of us for the first 20 minutes,” said Elon head coach Matt Matheny. “We defended pretty well, but we just couldn’t get into a rhythm offensively. We need to get better in every area and we have got to do a better job of rebounding the basketball.”
The Dragons got the better of the Phoenix on the glass, 39-24, as the maroon and gold grabbed only one offensive rebound in the setback.
The Phoenix struggled to find a rhythm beyond the arc, shooting just 2-of-16 from long range. The last time Elon knocked down two or fewer three pointers in a game was Feb. 23, 2012, at Davidson when it went 2-of-14 from three.
Elon committed only nine turnovers against Drexel, its lowest total in game since committing seven against College of Charleston in last year’s Southern Conference Tournament.
Lucas Troutman led all players with 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, including a 7-for-7 clip from the free throw line. Ryley Beaumont was the only other Phoenix player in double figures, finishing with 10 points.
Drexel took a 10-point lead, 33-23, into the locker room at intermission, despite shooting just 36 percent in the opening frame. The Dragons got to the free throw line 20 times, knocking down 14 attempts. The Phoenix knocked down 43 percent from the field (10-of-23) in the first half, but managed only one make from beyond the arc.
The Dragons took a 16-point lead with 14:03 remaining after deep three by Chris Fouch as the shot clocked sounded expired put Elon behind, 47-31.
Luke Eddy completed Elon’s 17-3 run and made it a two-point game, 52-50, with 5:48 remaining after a strong drive to the basket for a bucket and foul.
But the Dragons responded with a 10-2 run over the next three minutes to reclaim a double-digit lead and hold on down the stretch.
Tennessee 86, The Citadel 60
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Jordan McRae netted a game-high 20 points and lead three Tennessee players in double figures as the Vols earned an 86-60 victory over The Citadel at Thompson-Boling Arena on Monday evening.
McRae closed the game by hitting 7-of-12 from the field, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range. He was joined in double figures by Antonio Barton and Robert Hubbs III who scored 13 points apiece. Meanwhile, Armani Moore (seven rebounds), Jeronne Maymon (six) and A.J. Davis (six) provided the Vols with a 41-29 edge on the glass.
Tennessee (2-1) became the second Citadel opponent this season to hit better than 50 percent from the floor, knocking down 30-of-53. The Vols converted 7-of-13 from beyond the arc behind the tandem of Barton and McRae, who were responsible for three each.
Matt Van Scyoc was the lone Citadel player to reach double figures, scoring 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field. The sophomore sharpshooter, who finished 4-of-6 from 3-point range, was one of only two Bulldogs, along with Raemond Robinson (2-4) to convert at least two treys. The Citadel (2-3) capped off the night by hitting 8-of-18 (44.4%) from 3-point range.
Van Scyoc buried a trey from the left wing to pull the Bulldogs within 45-31 of the Vols less than one minute into the second half. After a layup by McRae on Tennessee's end, Brian White converted a layup to again pull The Citadel within 14.
Tennessee responded to The Citadel's challenge by putting together a 25-8 run over the next 8:46 of the game to forge in front 70-41. The run was capped off by three straight treys from the combination of A.J. Davis, Barton and McRae.
The Bulldogs answered by scoring the next eight straight points, capitalizing on a pair of 3-pointers by Robinson and Dylen Setzekorn to make for a 70-49 score with 5:18 remaining.
Quinton Marshall came through with five points, while Moore, Setzekorn and Nate Bowser added two each over the final 4:47 of the contest. However, it was not enough as Tennessee completed its fifth all-time victory over the Bulldogs.
The Volunteers used the double figure performances of Barton and McRae, who were responsible for 10 points apiece, to build a 45-28 lead at the half. Barton hit 4-of-5 from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers, while McRae finished 3-of-6 from the floor and 2-of-3 from long distance.
All five of the Tennessee starters were responsible for at least two field goals as they finished 17-of-28 from the field and 4-of-6 from 3-point range in the first half. The Vols were also active on the boards with 22 rebounds (seven offensive), doubling the number of total boards by the Bulldogs.
The Citadel was led offensively by the combination of Van Scyoc (13 points) and Harris III (five). Van Scyoc closed out the half by hitting 4-of-6 from the field and 3-of-5 from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Harris countered with a one field goal and was a perfect 3-of-3 from the charity stripe.
The Bulldogs were unable to get in an offensive rhythm, converting just 8-of-23 from the field. Three of the made field goals came from beyond the arc. The Citadel did manage a 9-of-14 performance from the free throw line.
Barton and McRae combined for three treys in the first 5:08 of the game to provide the Vols with a 17-4 lead. The Citadel answered with five of the next seven points, all from Van Scyoc, to cut the lead to 19-9.
Tennessee responded with an 11-1 run, highlighted by four points from Stokes and three off the hand of Barton, to push the margin to 30-10 with 8:39 remaining.
Van Scyoc halted the Dogs' 6:38 scoring drought with a layup and followed with a pair of free throws to give The Citadel its 14th point of the game with just under six minutes remaining.
A layup by White coupled with a pair of free throws by Harris pulled the Cadets within 16, 34-18, before Tennessee scored four unanswered to push the lead back to 20.
Three points each from the trio of Van Scyoc, Harris and Moore over the final 3:17 of the half moved The Citadel within 17 points of the Vols as both teams headed to the locker room.
Louisiana-Monroe 86, Samford 52
MONROE, La. -- The Samford University basketball team committed 15 turnovers and finished 1-of-15 from 3-point range Monday as the Bulldogs suffered an 86-52 defeat against the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks in their third consecutive road game held at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
“The thing we’re going to take away from tonight is that you have to be ready to play as soon as you hit the floor,” said Samford head coach Bennie Seltzer. “I don’t think we were quite ready to play tonight, for whatever reason, and that’s on me. I’m the coach and I have to figure out a way to get our guys ready to play. We just weren’t ready to come out and battle.”
With the loss, Samford (1-3) dropped to 0-3 on the road this season. Since opening the 2013-14 campaign with a 79-62 home victory against Martin Methodist on Nov. 8, the Bulldogs have been defeated in three straight road games at UT Arlington, at Indiana and at ULM (1-1).
Samford will continue its current six-game road stretch Thursday at East Tennessee State.
On Monday, the Bulldogs were outscored in points off turnovers, 23-7, and in fast-break points, 14-0. Samford also suffered a 56-36 discrepancy in points in the paint.
ULM shot a sizzling 50.7 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 42-32. The Warhawks’ Amos Olatayo scored a game-high 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the floor and added four rebounds in 25 minutes of action.
Jayon James and Tylor Ongwae both registered 14 points apiece for ULM, while Daniel Grieves came off the bench to score 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field.
Samford led by as many as four points in the opening half, but ULM used a 17-4 run midway through the period to take a 19-10 advantage with 8:55 to play until the intermission.
The Warhawks took a 44:27 lead into halftime and led by as many as 41 points with 3:01 remaining in the game.
Samford committed 11 costly turnovers in the opening half and trailed ULM at the intermission, 44-27. The Bulldogs turned the ball over 11 times in the first 20 minutes of action as the Warhawks outscored Samford, 15-0, in points off turnovers.
ULM only committed three turnovers in the first period and shot 50 percent from the field. The Bulldogs shot a sizzling 52 percent from the floor in the opening half, but went 0-for-4 from beyond the arc.
Tim Williams led Samford in first-half scoring with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, while Raijon Kelly and Tyler Hood both added four points apiece. Williams, the Bulldogs’ 6-foot-8 forward from Chicago, Ill., paced Samford with five rebounds.
The Warhawks’ Olatayo scored a game-high 16 points in the first half Monday, while Ongwae added 10 points, three rebounds and two steals.
Williams finished Monday’s contest with a team-high 14 points, while Tyler Hood added 12 points and six rebounds. True freshman Isaiah Williams registered five points, a team-high four assists, three steals and a pair of rebounds.