The Elon men’s basketball team hasn’t been dwelling on the night of Jan. 27.
That’s the last time it faced Georgia Southern, a frustrating outing for the Phoenix, who rallied late but couldn’t stop the Eagles from escaping North Carolina with a 68-67 victory.
“Anytime you lose by one point you look back, but we don’t think too much about that game,” said Elon coach Ernie Nestor, whose squad visits Statesboro today for a 7:30 p.m. rematch, which will be televised by SportsSouth. “Georgia Southern is a good basketball team – very physical and tough – and I don’t think we responded well to the physicality of the game.”
The Georgia Southern loss was the first of six straight for Elon, including Monday’s 86-63 defeat at UNC Greensboro. The Phoenix (5-19, 3-11) haven’t tasted victory since a 77-64 win at Western Carolina on Jan. 22 and are in last place in the Southern Conference’s North Division.
Meanwhile, the Eagles (11-14, 4-10) halted a four-game skid with Monday’s 57-55 victory over Furman, which completed GSU’s season sweep of the Paladins. The Eagles are in a three-way tie with Wofford and The Citadel for fourth place in the league’s South Division. Georgia Southern coach Jeff Price refused comment for this story and also restricted access to his players.
Like Georgia Southern, this basketball season hasn’t been everything Elon had hoped it would. Both teams have dropped eight of the last 10 games and dealt with key injures. The Phoenix are without their starting point guard, senior Montell Watson, who had season-ending foot surgery on Nov. 10. Another starting guard, Brett James, missed several games with a concussion, and freshman guard Devan Carter was benched earlier in the year with pneumonia. The result has meant significant playing for six freshmen, including five who have started at some point this year.
“We’ve struggled as a team with injuries and illnesses, but we’ve hung together through the tough times,” Nestor said.
LeVonn Jordan, a 6-foot-6, 185-pound senior swingman, averages a team-high 15.7 points and 7.0 rebounds a game for the Phoenix while the Eagles are paced by senior guard Donte Gennie’s 16.2 points per contest.
“They’ll be a big challenge for us,” Nestor said. “Georgia Southern has a great home atmosphere, but we’ve played a lot of road games, so that’s not a new thing for us.”
Pack the House
in Pink night
Tonight is Pack the House in Pink night at Hanner Fieldhouse. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to support the fight against breast cancer.
That’s the last time it faced Georgia Southern, a frustrating outing for the Phoenix, who rallied late but couldn’t stop the Eagles from escaping North Carolina with a 68-67 victory.
“Anytime you lose by one point you look back, but we don’t think too much about that game,” said Elon coach Ernie Nestor, whose squad visits Statesboro today for a 7:30 p.m. rematch, which will be televised by SportsSouth. “Georgia Southern is a good basketball team – very physical and tough – and I don’t think we responded well to the physicality of the game.”
The Georgia Southern loss was the first of six straight for Elon, including Monday’s 86-63 defeat at UNC Greensboro. The Phoenix (5-19, 3-11) haven’t tasted victory since a 77-64 win at Western Carolina on Jan. 22 and are in last place in the Southern Conference’s North Division.
Meanwhile, the Eagles (11-14, 4-10) halted a four-game skid with Monday’s 57-55 victory over Furman, which completed GSU’s season sweep of the Paladins. The Eagles are in a three-way tie with Wofford and The Citadel for fourth place in the league’s South Division. Georgia Southern coach Jeff Price refused comment for this story and also restricted access to his players.
Like Georgia Southern, this basketball season hasn’t been everything Elon had hoped it would. Both teams have dropped eight of the last 10 games and dealt with key injures. The Phoenix are without their starting point guard, senior Montell Watson, who had season-ending foot surgery on Nov. 10. Another starting guard, Brett James, missed several games with a concussion, and freshman guard Devan Carter was benched earlier in the year with pneumonia. The result has meant significant playing for six freshmen, including five who have started at some point this year.
“We’ve struggled as a team with injuries and illnesses, but we’ve hung together through the tough times,” Nestor said.
LeVonn Jordan, a 6-foot-6, 185-pound senior swingman, averages a team-high 15.7 points and 7.0 rebounds a game for the Phoenix while the Eagles are paced by senior guard Donte Gennie’s 16.2 points per contest.
“They’ll be a big challenge for us,” Nestor said. “Georgia Southern has a great home atmosphere, but we’ve played a lot of road games, so that’s not a new thing for us.”
Pack the House
in Pink night
Tonight is Pack the House in Pink night at Hanner Fieldhouse. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to support the fight against breast cancer.
