ELON, N.C. – Elon University men’s basketball opens up the fourth week of league play on Thursday night, Jan 18, on the road facing the James Madison Duke for the first time this season and the eighth time in program history. Tip-off time in slated for 7 p.m. inside the Convocation Center.
GAME NOTES (PDF) | PREVIEW
COVERAGE
Watch the action on CAA.TV as the broadcast will be produced by MadiZONE. You can listen to the Elon IMG Sports Network broadcast of the game on WSJS 104.5 FM and 1200 AM as Taylor Durham and Brian Morris will call the action with the pregame show starting at 6:30 p.m.
THE SERIES
• Thursday marks the 8th all-time meeting between Elon and James Madison. The last six meetings have occurred since the Phoenix joined the CAA in 2014-15. James Madison leads the series 5-2.
• Both Elon and James Madison split the season series in 2016-17 with the home team winning each contest. The Dukes claimed a 60-59 win on Jan. 14, 2017 at the Convocation Center and Elon won the matchup in Alumni Gym 67-61 on Feb. 2, 2017.
• The Phoenix claimed each of its first two wins against the Dukes in the all-time series in the last two seasons. Elon and James Madison met for the first time on Nov. 29, 1975 as JMU claimed the 108-94 victory.
LAST TIME OUT
• Steven Santa Ana led the Elon offense with 23 points, which included 6-of-8 shooting from three-point range, as the Phoenix defeated CAA preseason favorite College of Charleston 63-58 on Saturday.
• Elon, who came into the game ranked 2nd in the league in field goal percentage defense, limited the Cougars to just 36.8 percent shooting from the floor. With 9.3 seconds left, Thompson hit a pair of free throws to give the Phoenix a 61-58 advantage. After Charleston’s missed three, Santa Ana was then fouled after the defensive rebound and secured the win with two free throws.
A LOOK AT ELON
• The Phoenix has a 12-7 record overall and owns a 4-2 mark in CAA action after defeating College of Charleston 63-58 on Saturday night. Elon is tied for second in the CAA standings with the 4-2 mark.
• Tyler Seibring has been solid in his first five conference games, averaging 18.7 points and 8.2 rebounds. He is also shooting 55% from the floor and 53.1% from three.
• Meanwhile, Thompson is also having a good start to conference play, averaging 14.3 points and 5.3 rebounds, and shooting 21-22 from the free throw line.
• Seibring and Thompson each scored their 1,000th career point on Jan. 7 in a win at Hofstra.
• Elon is scoring 74.1 ppg and allowing 72.4 ppg thus far through 19 games. The team has only been held to under 70 points 6 times and under 60 points just twice this season.
• Offensively, Elon ranks 2nd in the CAA averaging 10.9 made three-pointers. Elon also is 2nd in the league averaging with 15.9 assists per contest.
• The Phoenix continues to improve defensively, allowing teams to shoot 41.6% from the floor which ranks 2nd overall in the CAA. Elon’s 41.4% field goal percentage defense in CAA games ranks 1st in the league. Elon is also 1st in the league in defensive rebounds, averaging 29.3 per game.
• Tyler Seibring is currently Elon’s leading scorer at 14.1 ppg, Seibring is also 10th in the league averaging a team-best 6.5 rpg, while Dainan Swoope is 5th in the CAA with 3.7 apg.
• Eberhardt has the 4th-best assist/turnover ratio in the CAA with a 2.1 ratio with 58 assists to 28 turnovers.
• Elon is 2nd in NCAA Division I in fouls committed per game. The Phoenix averages just 13.6 personal fouls per game.
• Elon completed its non-conference schedule with eight or more wins for the 4th straight year.
• The Phoenix returned all five starters and its top five scorers from a team that finished 18-14 overall and placed tied for fourth in the CAA with a 10-8 mark in 2016-17.
• Four of the five starters averaged double-figure scoring last season, led by 2016-17 All-CAA Second Team forward Tyler Seibring, who averaged a team-high 14.4 ppg.
• Dawkins, Thompson, Jack Anton, Jack George and Collin Luther make up this year’s senior class.
• Elon also made three additions this past offseason, bringing in freshman guard Nathan Priddy and forwards Simon Wright and Duje Radja into the fold.
IT’S ALL ABOUT BALANCE
• All five of Elon’s starters are averaging doubles figures through 19 games this season. Seibring leads the way with 14.1 ppg, while Swoope is second averaging 12.9 ppg.
• Rounding out the top scorers are Dmitri Thompson (11.7 ppg), Brian Dawkins (11.6 ppg) and Steven Santa Ana (10.9 ppg).
• Elon has had 7 different players finish in double figures this season and 6 have led their team in scoring during games.
• The Phoenix has had at least three players finish in double-figures in 14 games this season. The only 4 times this season Elon had less in a game was two against Radford (11/22), at UNCG (12/7) and at Northeastern (1/5) and one at Canisius (12/17).
JOINING THE 1,000-POINT CLUB
• Dmitri Thompson and Tyler Seibring each joined the 1,000-point club on Sunday, Jan. 7, at Hofstra.
• Seibring was the first to join, becoming the 40th player overall and the 11th junior to reach the mark.
• Thompson followed becoming the 41st player in 109 seasons of Elon basketball to reach 1,000 career points.
• Dainan Swoope is the next in line to reach the mark. He has 910 career points, just 90 away. Brian Dawkins follows with 830 career points and needs 170 to join the club.
COMING UP BIG IN LEAGUE PLAY
• The Phoenix as a team continues to be one of the best defensive teams in the league, holding teams to 41.4% shooting from the field in CAA games, ranks 1st in the league.
• After averaging 11.9 points and 5.8 rebounds during non-conference play, Tyler Seibring has increased his averages to 18.7 points and 8.2 rebounds in league games.
SWOOPE THERE IT IS
• Dainan Swoope has shown improvement on the scoring end his junior campaign, averaging 12.9 ppg this season in comparison to his 11.7 ppg last season. Swoope has scored in double figures 13 times thus far and is currently 18th in the CAA in scoring.
• The junior point guard makes 82.8% of his shots from the free throw line, which is 8th in the CAA.
• Swoope is also 5th in the CAA in assists averaging 3.7 dimes per game this season.
• The junior finished the non-conference portion of the schedule averaging 14.7 ppg and shot 85.1% from the free throw line.
• Before suffering an ankle injury in the second half at UNCG, Swoope was averaging 17.1 ppg in the first nine contests.
• He had 20+ points in four straight games from Nov. 17-22 and averaged 23.8 ppg during that span.
PROVIDING A SPARK
• Sheldon Eberhardt has made an impact off the bench, scoring in double-figures three times this season for the Phoenix.
• He posted a career-high 10 assists in Elon’s victory over Saint Peter’s, which was the first time an Elon player had 10 or more assists in a game since Chris Long had 10 on Feb. 19, 2011 against UNCG.
• Eberhardt is currently averaging 5.8 points and 3.2 assists per contest. He also has one of the highest shooting percentages on the team at 50.6%.
LET IT FLY
• The Phoenix is 2nd in the CAA and 13th in the NCAA with 10.9 three-pointers made per game.
• Elon’s 207 total three-pointers this season ranks 1st in the CAA and 8th in the NCAA.
• The maroon and gold also ranks first in the league with 582 three-point attempts, which ranks 9th nationally.
376 AND COUNTING
• The Elon program has made at least one three-point field goal in 376 consecutive games (not including exhibition games). The matchup on Feb. 4, 2017 at College of Charleston marked the 350th consective game.
• The last time Elon did not make a three in a game was Jan. 30, 2006, at Georgia Southern when the team went 0-of-14 from deep.
FINAL SEASON OF ALUMNI GYM
• The 2017-18 season marks the 67th and final year of competition inside historic Alumni Gym as the program is set to relocate to the Schar Center for the 2018-19 campaign. The arena opened its doors in 1950.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
• Elon has a 7-1 record overall record at home in its final season inside Alumni Gym.
• Since the 2011-12 season, Elon has a 66-29 record (31-8 vs. non-conference teams) inside Alumni Gym. Elon has sold out Alumni Gym 21 times under head coach Matt Matheny, with its most recent sellout coming on Jan. 11, 2018. Matheny is 14-7 all-time in front of sellout crowds in Alumni Gym.
SCOUTING JAMES MADISON
• The Dukes are seeking their first CAA victory of the season as they come into Thursday’s matchup at 4-15 overall and 0-6 in CAA action.
• On Saturday, JMU dropped a tough 61-60 decision to Delaware to open its three-game homestand. The Blue Hens closed out the game on an 8-0 run to steal the win at the Convocation Center.
• Stuckey Mosley, who is the CAA’s third-leading scorer (19.1 ppg), led the JMU charge with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Freshman Matt Lewis chipped in 14 points and fellow freshman Darius Banks grabbed a team-high nine boards.
• Three of JMU’s four wins this season have come at home against Appalachian State, Charlotte, and West Virginia Wesleyan. The Dukes lone road victory was at Florida International.
• James Madison ranks among the top-5 in the CAA in multiple categories. The Dukes are 1st in the CAA in steals (8.1 spg), 4th in free throw percentage (.733), 4th in offensive rebounding (11.3 rpg), 5th in scoring offense (74.4 ppg) and 5th in blocked shots (3.1 bpg).
UP NEXT
The Phoenix returns to Alumni Gym on Saturday, Jan. 20, to host the William & Mary Tribe at 7 p.m.