By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
So much good work had been accomplished by the Elon men’s basketball team this season, yet there was a critical juncture for the Phoenix entering February.
“We’re two in the hole, so we had to come out strong or else it’s going to be a long rest of the season,” center Matthew Van Koman said, referring to the past two games. “We had to put our foot on the gas and just grind through it.”
Elon turned in a strong second half to defeat visiting Northeastern 71-60 on Saturday night at Schar Center, snapping its first two-game skid of the season.
“Coming off two losses, we got to come out with some fire,” guard Nick Dorn said. “We’re just not going to lay down.”
Dorn scored 19 points, T.K. Simpkins racked up 15 points, and Van Komen supplied season highs of 14 points and 14 rebounds.
“Three losses in a row would be brutal,” Van Komen said. “It’s definitely a season-defining game.”
Elon (15-8, 6-4 Coastal Athletic Association) held a 48-36 lead when ex-teammate L.A. Pratt converted a three-point play. But for most of the rest of the game, the Phoenix maintained a double-digit lead.
“I thought our guys showed a lot of resolve in terms of how they approached tonight’s game,” Elon coach Billy Taylor said.
Van Komen was a factor right away, scoring eight points in the first 11 minutes. Northeastern hit three 3s in the first 12 minutes while Elon was 0-for-3.
The Huskies went up by seven before Elon battled back to make it 28-28 at halftime.
William Kermoury and Rashad King both had 15 points, and Pratt finished with eight for Northeastern (12-11, 4-6).
Elon’s 43-25 rebounding advantage was an indication of a mindset.
“We just had a different aggressiveness when the shot went up,” Taylor said.
The Phoenix went 21-for-23 on free throws, with Dorn at 11-for-13.
Taylor, who’s at his fourth school as a head coach, picked up career win No. 250. His teams are 250-269 overall.
“I’m grateful for the journey that I’ve been on with these young men and how I’ve been able to impact lives and win some games along the way,” Taylor said. “Certainly we’ve got a lot more to achieve this year.”
Elon, with its first 15-win season in 10 years, plays Thursday night at Campbell and Saturday night at College of Charleston.
