Elon 78, Furman 49
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Senior Lucas Troutman posted a game-high 23 points and seven rebounds to power the Elon Phoenix to a 78-49 victory over Furman in Southern Conference action on Monday night at Timmons Arena.
With the loss, Furman slipped to 9-19 overall and 3-12 in league play. Elon improved to 18-11 overall and upped its SoCon record to 11-3.
After Keith Belfield gave the Paladins a 10-7 lead on a three-point basket with 11:41 remaining in the opening period, Elon held Furman to just two scores over the next nine-plus minutes and scored 16 straight points as part of a 25-4 run to grab a 32-14 advantage. Austin Hamilton triggered the run with a three-point play and Troutman, who connected on 11-of-15 field goal attempts on the night, tallied eight points during the spurt as Elon took a lead it would not relinquish.
Furman ended the first half on an 8-0 run to trim the margin to 32-22, but Elon began the second period with a 10-2 spurt on the strength of six points from Troutman and never led by less than 12 points the rest of the way. The Phoenix shot 67.9 percent from the floor in the second half to finish at 54.2 percent for the game while also converting on 7-of-18 three-point attempts.
Elon outscored the Paladins 48-12 in the paint and 25-5 on points off of turnovers by forcing Furman into 15 miscues. The Phoenix finished with a 37-34 edge on the glass.
Sophomore Stephen Croone, the lone Paladin in double figures, led Furman with 13 points and five assists. It marked the 27th time in 28 games this season that Croone has reached double digit points.
The Paladins shot just 30 percent from the field and made only 13 of their 23 free throw attempts in the loss.
The Citadel 81, Samford 71
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel's Ashton Moore finished with team-high 24 points and led three Bulldogs in double figures as the team snapped a 17-game losing streak with an 81-71 victory over Samford at McAlister Field House on Monday evening.
Joining the junior guard in double-digit scoring were Matt Van Scyoc (19) and Marshall Harris III (13). Moore reached double figures for a team-high 18th time this season after hitting 7-of-12 from the floor, 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and 7-of-9 at the free throw line.
Van Scyoc found his shooting touch by knocking down 5-of-12 from the floor, including a pair of long distance 3-pointers, while hitting 7-of-8 at the free throw line. Harris came through with his second double figure performance in the last four games after finishing 5-of-6 from the floor. He also sparked The Citadel (5-25, 1-14 SoCon) offensive attack with four assists.
Collectively the Cadets converted of 26-of-49 attempts from the floor and 20-of-26 at the charity stripe. The Citadel also managed to outmuscle their counterparts on the glass (33-30) behind eight rebounds from P.J. Horgan.
Another key for the Bulldogs was the play of reserves Raemond Robinson (6 points), Quinton Marshall (6 rebounds) and Warren Sledge (6 assists).
The Citadel maintained its 14-point lead inside the first two minutes of the second half due to five points from Van Scyoc. However, four points by Tim Williams and a timely 3-pointer off the hand of Connor Miller trimmed the Cadets' lead to 43-36 at the 16:48 mark.
The Bulldogs responded with a 9-4 run over the next 2:59, due in large part to four points by Brian White, as they moved back in front by double figures.
Samford retaliated with a series of 3-pointers, including two by Isaiah Williams, to make for a 60-53 Citadel advantage at the 9:13 mark.
A 3-pointer by Moore briefly pushed the Dogs' lead back to 10, but it was the combination of Isaiah Williams and Raijon Kelly that managed to trim the margin to 63-58.
Five unanswered points by Van Scyoc, including a 3-pointer deep in the corner, forged The Citadel in front by 10 with 5:33 remaining.
Under a minute later, with momentum in their favor, The Citadel lost the services of Harris following a charging foul. Moore answered by singlehandedly scoring the next 10 Bulldog points to cap off the 10-point victory.
Samford (11-18, 5-9) was led offensively by the duo of Isaiah Williams (24 pts.) and Tim Williams (20). Isaiah Williams led all Bulldog shooters by hitting 9-of-14 from the floor and 4-of-6 from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Tim Williams knocked down 7-of-13 from the field and 6-of-7 at the free throw line. He also led Samford with nine rebounds.
Samford finished 28-of-62 from the field despite hitting just 6-of-17 from beyond the arc.
Knotted at 13-13 following a dunk by Tim Williams at the 11:07 mark of the opening frame, The Citadel put together a 16-4 run to assume a lead it would not surrender. The Bulldogs used eight points from Moore, five by Harris and a fall away 3-pointer by Robinson to move in front 29-17.
Russell Wilson scored four of Samford's final seven points of the half, but it was four points by Van Scyoc and a second Robinson trey that provided the Cadets with a 38-24 lead at the half.