Sherry Sparks Ignites Elon’s Thrilling Comeback for 73-69 Victory Over UNCG

ELON, N.C. – A second-half comeback ignited by a career-best performance from senior Sam Sherry propelled the Elon University men’s basketball squad to a 73-69 triumph against its Piedmont Triad opponent UNCG on Saturday evening, Dec. 21, at Schar Center.
 
Sherry topped three Phoenix (8-4) in double figures with personal-highs in points (28) and rebounds (14), marking his second double-double this season. TJ Simpkins contributed 14 points, while Nick Dorn added 13 as the Phoenix maintained their perfect record at Schar Center with a 4-0 tally this season.
 
Kenyon Giles scored 24 points for the Spartans (6-6) with Ronald Polite III contributing 17 points from the bench.
 
THE SUMMARY
• UNCG began the game with a 9-8 edge after the initial four minutes. The Spartans led 7-3, but the Phoenix responded with a 5-2 rally to be down by one heading into the under-16 media break.
• The Phoenix embarked on an 8-2 run following the break to take a 16-11 lead after a couple of free throws by Simpkins. Elon led 20-14 after a putback layup from Brayden Crump with 10:36 remaining in the half.
• Elon kept capitalizing on offensive rebounds as a putback by Kendall Campbell offered the Phoenix a 24-19 lead with 8:36 remaining in the first period. The Spartans, however, countered with a 12-1 spurt to reclaim the lead, 31-25, before the final media timeout of the half. UNCG maintained its momentum, ending the first half with a 13-5 run to take a 44-30 advantage into halftime.
• The Spartans led by as many as 12 to kick off the second half, 46-34, following a jumper in the paint by Giles. Elon narrowed its deficit to seven, 46-39, with five points from Sherry and Matthew Van Komen. UNCG restored a double-digit lead at 49-39 after Polite III split a pair at the line.
• The Phoenix rallied to close the gap to five, 49-44. Elon forced a couple of turnovers, converting those into dunks by Simpkins and Harrell. A free throw from Simpkins trimmed the margin to five with 14:19 left in the game.
• Both sides exchanged scores over the next three minutes until Donovan Atwell drilled a three-pointer, giving the Spartans a 56-48 lead with just over 11 minutes left. The Phoenix then engineered a 17-0 run over the following six minutes to reclaim a 65-56 lead, capped by Sherry’s and-one play with 4:46 remaining. Sherry and Brayden Crump were instrumental during the surge, scoring seven and four points, correspondingly, including a putback layup from Crump that allowed Elon to take its first advantage since the eight-minute mark in the first half.
• UNCG responded with an 11-0 run of its own, pulling ahead by two, 67-65, after a jumper from Akrum Ahemed. A three-pointer from Dorn pushed the Phoenix back in front, 68-67, with 2:07 remaining, but the Spartans countered with a layup from Giles to seize a 69-68 lead.
• That, however, would be the final tally for the Spartans for the rest of the contest as the Phoenix heightened their defensive intensity in the final moments. Elon also faced difficulty in securing a leading basket, falling short on three attempts as the clock ticked to 41 seconds, prompting the Phoenix to take a timeout after Crump regained possession on a jump ball.
• Coming out of the timeout, Elon turned to Sherry in the post; the forward successfully executed a jump hook in the paint to secure the lead for the Phoenix. After the Elon defense forced a missed three-pointer from Giles on the opposite end, Sherry sank three out of four free throws in the closing seconds to seal the victory.
 
NOTES
• Elon’s 14-point comeback in the second half is its most significant since rallying from an 11-point deficit (40-29) against Northeastern on January 30, 2016.
• The Phoenix’s victory ended their six-game losing streak against the Spartans. It marks the first win for the maroon and gold against their previous SoCon rival since Dec. 19, 2015.
• Elon outperformed the Spartans 43-25 in the second half and dominated the boards, out-rebounding UNCG 47-27 overall. The Phoenix nearly matched the Spartans’ total rebounds with their 24 offensive boards.
• TJ Simpkins made his first start of the season in lieu of his brother TK. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native recorded five rebounds and a team-leading four assists in the match.
• Crump tallied seven points and six rebounds while clocking a season-high 25 minutes off the bench.
• Elon excelled in points scored in the paint, 36-28, and netted 24 points off second-chance opportunities compared to only five for UNCG.
 
UP NEXT
Elon will take a break for the holiday season before welcoming Marshall for its concluding non-conference match on Saturday, Dec. 28. The game is slated to begin at 7 p.m. and will be streamed on FloCollege.
 

— ELON —